The New Nemesis
by aceinthehold
Summary: Squall and his friends deal with new threats: Pirate raids on FH, Balamb, and Dollet, thugs taking control of Timber and Deling City, political change in Galbadia, and Dr. Odine being kidnapped by a conspiracy of powerful magicians and warriors.
1. Introduction

_It has been about a year and a half since Squall and his friends defeated the Sorceress Ultimecia. In Balamb, the island had prospered peacefully. For Galbadia, a new government has been formed. A parliament was formed, along with an elected Prime Minister. Galbadia, with no new leader to turn to, elected General Caraway to be Prime Minister of the Republic of Galbadia. The first thing he did was he granted independence to the Dukedom of Dollet, and Timber. A treaty with Esthar has been made as well for cooperation. Laguna Loire, along with Kiros and Ward returned to Esthar to continue on their presidential roles. In Trabia, under the supervision of Cid Kramer, Edea and Selphie Tilmitt, the Garden there has been rebuilt. As for Balamb Garden, it returned to its original location in Balamb and within a few months, it was rebuilt on the crater where the missiles hit._

_Laguna invited Squall and Rinoa to his residence in Esthar. He had a confession to make to Squall. He revealed to him that he is Squall's father, and Raine was Squall's mother. Squall at first had a hard time accepting this information, but he took it in. Squall would then spend two months with his father, Laguna, talking about life. This would inspire Rinoa travel to Deling City and reconcile with her father, General Caraway._

_As for the Squall's other friends, Quistis would take a more administrative role in running Balamb Garden with Cid and Edea. Xu would be her assistant, as Nida (the guy who passed the SeeD exam with Squall, Zell and Selphie) would be an instructor. Zell spent some more time with the girl from the library while trying to fix up some of Balamb's problems (much to the annoyance of the residents who do not like him). As for Selphie and Irvine, they decided to hang out in Trabia, while Selphie showed Irvine various places._

_However a string of problems will arrive. Even though Squall and his friends have been hailed as heroes and legends to the world, new enemies have risen, challenging the peace and stability of the world._


	2. Chapter 1: Ragnarok Attacked

**Esthar Presidential Residence**

It was a beautiful morning in Esthar. Laguna, Squall, Rinoa, Ellone, Kiros, and Ward were having a decent brunch on the balcony. At the same time, they were watching the beautiful skyline of the city.

"…And he said, 'Oh, that guy? He's just a coffee shop worker,'" finished Laguna.

Everyone cracked up, even Squall.

"Wow! I never knew you can be so funny!" said Rinoa as she tried to control her laughter.

"Yeah, that's what I loved about Uncle Laguna. So great to be with," said Ellone with a smile.

Kiros and Ward nodded in agreement.

"Laguna always made our day," said Kiros.

"Oh, enough with showering," said Laguna with a blush.

By the time they were done eating, Squall's phone rang. Squall took it out, and checked on the caller ID. It was Headmaster Cid Kramer. He then answered.

"Yes Cid?"

"Squall, we need your presence at Balamb Garden as soon as possible! We have a rising situation here!"

"What is the situation then?"

"I can't talk about it right now! It's a security problem involving Galbadia! So many errands! We do not have much time! Also, get Selphie and Irvine as well, they're still in Trabia. I need to speak with them as well!"

"Okay, okay. I'll get the Ragnarok up and ready, and we'll be there," Squall then hung up. Rinoa was standing in front of him.

"Squall, what's wrong?" asked Rinoa.

"It's Cid. We have to get to Balamb. There's a situation, something regarding Galbadia. Did your father say anything about any problems he's facing?"

Rinoa thought briefly,

"Every Wednesday, my father goes to the Parliament for a morning session called 'Prime Minister's Questions'. The Galbadian media said that my father has faced a lot of heat from a rising opposition party. It's fairly new, was established after he granted Timber and Dollet independence,"

"What is it?" asked Squall.

"The Nationalist Republican Party of Galbadia. The NRs, they call them. They seem very determined to get power in Galbadia, but my father's party, the Social Democrats of Galbadia are still very popular," explained Rinoa.

"I see," said Squall. "Let's get to the Ragnarok. We're going to get Selphie and Irvine. Cid wants to speak with them as well,"

"Oh, Selphie. I haven't seen her and Irvine in two months! I wonder what they've been up to?" said Rinoa as she followed Squall.

Within twenty minutes, they were on the Ragnarok spaceship, flying on their way to Trabia.

**Somewhere in Trabia, an hour and a half later**

"You know, I like this place," said Irvine, as he and Selphie sat at the summit of a small mountain overlooking Trabia Garden.

"Really!" said Selphie with bewilderment. "I thought you were not going to like it, since it's cold,"

"Well, it's better than the barren Centra plains that we grew up in. I can imagine settling here at some point,"

Selphie smiled. She rested her head on Irvine's lap, as they continued to enjoy the view. They were about to kiss, until they heard a rumbling noise from behind.

"What on earth is that?" wondered Selphie.

_God damn it! Whoever is making that noise is ruining my day_, thought Irvine as he looked behind. It was the Ragnarok, which approached from behind.

"It's Squall and Rinoa! WHOO-HOO!" cried out Selphie with excitement.

The spaceship landed on an open plain nearby. Selphie and Irvine ran toward it, and saw Squall and Rinoa waiting outside.

"Squall, Rinoa!" called out Selphie. She happily jumped into Rinoa's arms.

"Selphie!" responded Rinoa as she caught Selphie. Rinoa fell back into the snow, but they were both laughing.

"Hey Squall, what's up? Long time no see, good to see you!" said Irvine as they did a handshake.

"Yeah, it's good to see you too Irvine. How's everything?"

"Couldn't be better!" said Irvine as he and Selphie smiled. "So, what brings you two here?"

"Yeah! What brings you two here?" asked Selphie.

"We got a call from Cid. We have to get to Balamb Garden as soon as possible. Something urgent has happened. From what he was explaining, it seems that Balamb is in grave danger," explained Squall.

"Then we must find out and help!" replied Selphie. "Let's go!"

"I'm up for another adventure," said Irvine, as he checked his rifle, Exeter, to see if he has the right ammo.

The four quickly boarded the Ragnarok, and flew southbound toward Balamb. As Squall flew the ship with Selphie as copilot, Irvine said,

"It sucks man. I have been reading the news and hearing rumors that the peace in this world, that we brought after defeating the sorceress did not last very long at all,"

"Why? What's going on?" asked Rinoa.

"The newly restructured Galbadian Navy recently had a couple of battleships stolen, containing some powerful weapons. There's also news that the rebuilt Deep Sea Research Facility has been raided by unknown forces,"

"Who the hell would want to come back to Deep Sea Research Facility? We destroyed Ultima Weapon and got Bahamut, didn't we?" replied Squall.

"I don't know. And I do not know why Galbadia has the nerve to expand its military forces again, even after granting Timber and Dollet independence," said Irvine.

**Two Hours Later, 500 km North off the Balamb Coast**

Squall continued flying the Ragnarok toward the northern coast of Balamb. He could catch a glimpse of Balamb Garden, shimmering in sight. However, an alarm went on.

"Squall! I got four missiles approaching us from behind!" said Selphie as she checked the radar.

"We'll take evasive action. What's the origin?" asked Squall as he buckled up. Rinoa, Selphie, and Irvine followed suit.

"The origin of the missiles is the South Central Ocean, Northwest of Fisherman's Horizon and Southwest of Balamb. Seems like they were fired from a ship at sea," said Selphie.

"I'm scared…" said Rinoa in a worried voice.

Squall first fired off a couple of flares. They successfully stopped two missiles.

"Two missiles down!" yelled Selphie.

But the flares could not stop all of the missiles. The last two missiles hit two of the four turbine boosters that powered the Ragnarok. The cockpit shook violently.

"We're hit!" yelled Irvine as the alarm went off loudly.

Squall sent a distress signal and contacted Cid.

"Cid, we have been hit by missiles and we are going down. Mayday, mayday, we are going down, the Ragnarok is going down,"

Squall tried to get control of the ship. He checked the map. Rinoa looked up, hoping that they were not going to die.

"Location?" asked Selphie.

"We are over the mountains of Balamb. If I can land on the nearby Alcauld Plains, we might be able to survive,"

The ship flew over Balamb Garden. The students outside saw a spaceship flying above with its rear end flaming, going down like a comet. Zell, who was outside returning to the Garden from Balamb, to wait for Squall, saw the falling Ragnarok. Quistis was also outside waiting for Squall when she saw the falling Ragnarok.

"IT'S SQUALL! We got to help!" yelled out Zell as he ran toward the Alcauld Plains.

"I hope they know what they are doing. I'm scared," said Quistis as she followed Zell.

Back on the Ragnarok, Squall was able to aim the Ragnarok, and glide it toward the Alcauld Plains.

"Brace for impact!" yelled Squall.

Irvine, Rinoa, and Selphie braced their heads down, as the Ragnarok's nose hit the ground, with the flaming rear following suit. The four felt a violent shake when the ship landed, as it skidded on the plains. Within a few minutes the badly damaged Ragnarok skidded to a stop. Squall's heart was still beating, and he realized that he survived the crash.

"Is everyone all right?" asked Squall

"Yes," said the three.

Squall looked outside. Balamb Garden was two miles down the horizon to the North. He could see a few cars owned by Balamb Garden approaching. Within a few minutes, Quistis and Zell came out of the first car followed by Xu and Nida. SeeD candidates also came out with fire extinguishers to put out the huge fire on the wreckage. Squall opened the cockpit escape hatch, and escorted Selphie, Irvine, and Rinoa to safety. They had to dodge some flames in the process, but were able to find a way out. The four then got into a Balamb Garden car, and were then taken to the Garden Infirmary to be treated for minor cuts and bruises. Quistis and Zell also headed to the Infirmary, where they saw Dr. Kadowaki giving Rinoa an ice pack, and some antibiotics to treat some cuts Selphie and Irvine got from the crash.

"Are they all right?" asked Quistis.

"Thank goodness that they only received some minor wounds. No burns at all. Remarkable that Squall got out unscathed. I thought that they did not have a chance, but everyone should be fine in an hour," said Dr. Kadowaki.

"That's great!" said Zell.

Quistis saw Squall, looking out at the window. He could still see the Balamb Garden students, led by Xu and Nida putting out the fires on the damaged Ragnarok. She walked up also to see how they were doing.

"Well, I guess we are not going to do any flying for some time. I'm going to miss that ship," said Quistis.

_Me too,_ thought Squall. _Someone wants me dead. Who?_


	3. Chapter 2: A Declaration of War

**Balamb Garden, Two Hours after Crash**

"What is going on? We nearly got killed trying to get here," asked Squall in a forceful voice to Cid, who was in front of his desk.

The six heroes were standing in Headmaster Cid Kramer's office on the third floor, with Edea standing by Cid's side. Nida and Xu were standing by the doors.

"A string of events have been occurring since the defeat of Sorceress Ultimecia. Have you been keeping up with the news these days?" replied Cid.

"A little, but I have been spending a lot of time with Rinoa and I just learned something new, Laguna Loire is my father," said Squall.

Edea smiled.

"You knew?" asked Squall to Edea.

"Yes. But I was not so sure if it was really true when I got the birth certificate at your arrival. I was going to talk to you about this in person at some point but you headed off to Esthar to see Laguna. Once you went there, I knew that you were going to find out on your own. How did it go though?" asked Edea.

"It went fine, but I don't want to drift off from the main question I'm asking. Cid, what is going on? Why do you need us?"

"We have been following the news from Galbadia that they are facing a growing problem after granting Dollet independence a year ago. A small band of pirates based in Dollet got some magic, and were able to get some monsters on their side, particularly the skeletal Forbiddens. At the same time, as Dollet's population got bigger within the past few years, interest in that pirate organization grew, especially among the poor. This pirate organization is called the Dark Typhoon. After Dollet got independence, Dollet developed their own sophisticated and modern Coast Guard, but the strength of the Dark Typhoon was too much for them in manpower. They took all six ships with them, built by Galbadia. The Dark Typhoon successfully made raids on fishing villages and cargo ships near the Western Continent. This caused great concern for Galbadia,"

_That explains why my father called for greater spending for the navy, _Rinoa thought.

"Irvine mentioned about two Galbadian battleships stolen," said Squall.

"Ah, yes. Galbadia built up its navy, believing they can stop a small pirate fleet. They were proven wrong however, when the Dark Typhoon had made their most daring and barbaric raid yet. Two state-of-the-art Galbadian V-Class battleships, armed with more than 500 heat seeking, stealth-detecting sea-to-air missiles, were stolen. These were the only two ships the navy had, their best ships and they were still in the testing phase. All of the sailors and officers on board were killed. They took no prisoners, and left the bodies, to be more precise, what's left of the bodies on the docks, covering the piers with blood," continued Cid.

Cid then showed a blueprint of the Galbadian V-Class battleship, and pictures of the crime scene. Selphie and Rinoa gasped in disbelief.

"This is unthinkable!" said Zell as he looked at the pictures.

To Squall, the ship looked powerful enough to destroy a small city and looked very intimidating. It had numerous cannons and missile launchers, as well as heavy armor. The center of the ship was adorned by a giant smokestack and a tower bridge taller than the smokestack. He looked at the statistics of the vessel.

NAVY OF THE REPUBLIC OF GALBADIA

V-CLASS BATTLESHIP

GROSS TONNAGE: 73,000 tons

LENGTH: 260 meters water-line, 267 meters overall

PROPULSION: 14 boilers, powered by Energy Crystals, 4 turbines, four three-bladed propellers

SPPED: 56 knots (103 km/hr)

ARMOR: 450 mm side armor, 700 mm on face of turrets, 250 mm armored deck

WEAPONRY: 6 main cannons (1460 kg 18" shells), three rear main cannons, two _Reaper-class_ missile launchers, three secondary cannons, 140 anti-aircraft guns

CREW CAPACITY: 3,000

OTHER: Contains advanced stealth technology developed by the Galbadian Engineering Corps. Two ships in production: RGS Vengeance, RGS Vanguard

"That's a powerful ship. No wonder why these pirates wanted these ships. The statistics speak for themselves. But do you know what is their agenda?" asked Squall.

"Possibly the conquest of the seas," speculated Quistis.

Nida, followed by Xu quickly ran into the office.

"What is it now?" asked Cid.

"Headmaster, you're not going to believe this, but we got a distress signal from Fisherman's Horizon," said Xu.

"Mayor Dobe has left a video message, I'll patch it through," said Nida as he activated a video screen. Everyone then watched. A video popped up showing Mayor Dobe, with his wife, Flo on his side, and the background of Fisherman's Horizon. There were numerous, but small explosions, a giant ship in the background as well, and numerous men, dressed in rags, armed with various weapons ranging from swords, spears, and guns jumping onto the platforms of the settlement.

"This is Mayor Dobe calling from Fisherman's Horizon, FH! Two hours ago, an unknown fleet of eight ships arrived 50 kilometers from our area. The White SeeD ship came to our defense, but it was sunk! Two of these ships have docked and an army invaded our territory! All defenses have been destroyed! We are suffering from massive casualties! We need medical assistance! GAH!"

"Oh no… They destroyed the White SeeD Ship. FH needs help," gasped Selphie.

The video showed a small group of pirates, dressed in what seemed to be ragged naval uniforms, bandannas, and armed with guns and swords pushing Mayor Dobe and Flo aside.

"Who the hell are you? How dare you men come in, and plunder our peaceful settlement!" yelled Mayor Dobe. A pirate then hit his head with the butt of his rifle.

"Shut up you weak fool," said another pirate. Then another pirate came in front of the camera. He seemed to be the most well-dressed of the group, and the leader because he was the only one wearing a combination cap (a military hat worn on dress uniforms), but his uniform was also slightly ragged and was decorated with numerous insignia. He looked strong and intimidating as well. The pirates raised their rifles, threatening Mayor Dobe and Flo. The leader then walked in front of the camera, and began to speak,

"This is Vice Admiral Jones speaking for Fleet Admiral Gisborn of the Dark Typhoon. We have successfully captured the resources of Fisherman's Horizon. This is a warning to Galbadia, Balamb and Esthar. If anyone tries to threaten our rising rule of the seas, expect a war. If you think we are bluffing, take a look at our firepower," he then pointed to the flaming buildings and docks of Fisherman's Horizon.

He also showed two Dollet Coast Guard Destroyers, refitted with powerful cannons, docked, as more pirates continue to plunder every building in the settlement. There were screams of fear and terror as the pirates continued to murder those who resisted. The Vice Admiral then showed the remaining six ships of the fleet, led by the two giant Galbadian V-Class battleships, continuing to fire their cannons. He then showed the destroyed White SeeD Ship, the crewmembers' bodies lying on the wreckage.

"If you think SeeD can stop us, think again. We have obliterated the White SeeD Ship! The sea and its treasures, along with the coasts are ours! WE ARE VICTORIOUS! WE RULE THE SEAS!" yelled the Vice Admiral.

The video transmission ended. Everyone was shocked at the brutality of the destruction that the pirates caused on the peaceful settlement.

"The Dark Typhoon is now the biggest threat Balamb is going to face. I have fears that our island is next," said Cid woefully.

"If anyone threatens Balamb they're going to be mistaken. No pirate is going to take over Balamb on my watch! If so, I'm going to kick every pirate's ass!" yelled Zell as punched his fists in the air.

_Take it easy Zell, what the pirates showed on camera clearly showed that they are no pushovers, _thought Squall.

"I'm scared, those pirates sure are brutal!" said Selphie.

"So this is why you need us? You want us to take on the Dark Typhoon? The deadliest pirate organization in the world? They killed a crew of powerful White SeeDs who tried to stop them!" asked Squall in disbelief.

"Yes," said Cid.

"It's not like we have a choice Squall," said Quistis. "An attack on Balamb is imminent. They have been preparing for this meticulously for months. They have succeeded in getting a large crew in Dollet, stole Dollet's entire naval fleet, raided the Deep Sea Research Facility for weapons, attacked nearly every coastal village in the Western Continent, stole Galbadia's best ships, resisted an attempted Galbadian attack, plundered the settlements on the Centra coast, and now attacked Fisherman's Horizon. It's no doubt that they're going to strike us next. They were the ones responsible for the attack on the Ragnarok," continued Quistis as she read the reports of attacks made by the Dark Typhoon.

"The purpose of SeeD was to maintain peace as well," said Edea. "The Dark Typhoon has violated it. They have killed my beloved students. We are going to have to fight the Dark Typhoon at some point,"

"What is their manpower?" asked Squall.

"12,000 men and monsters," said Irvine, who was also looking at the intelligence provided from Dollet regarding the Dark Typhoon.

"12,000 pirates versus 50 Balamb militia, and 1,600 Garden Students and SeeDs? It's going to be a massacre!" said Rinoa.

"Numbers do not matter. We are going to resist. They have magic and monsters. We have magic, Guardian Forces, and heart. If they want Balamb, and the destruction of our people, we will not go down without a fight! Squall, I'll put you on the helm again. You have shown great leadership during those troubled times. It's now up to you," said Cid.

_The Dark Typhoon wants me dead. So they can defeat SeeD, their greatest threat, and control the seas of the world. Great. Just when I thought I have saved the world from further violence by the Sorceresses, a group of powerful, but stupid and fanatical pirates want to stop us. They have threatened the ones I love and I. I'm not going to let that happen,_ thought Squall. He then looked at Cid.

"Ok Cid, I'll undertake the duties of leader. If the Dark Typhoon wants a war, we'll give them a war," said Squall.

"Good then. I'll make an announcement," said Cid as he headed over to the microphone. Squall then looked at the map of the world.

"When the Ragnarok got attacked, do you know where the missiles were fired?" asked Quistis.

"I do! I do!" said Selphie. "There," She pointed to the exact coordinates which was 3000 kilometers Southwest of Balamb, but pretty close to Fisherman's Horizon.

"From those coordinates, it seems that they are going to head for Balamb," said Irvine after looking at the map.

Squall looked at the map, as Quistis marked the coordinates.

"The Northern area of Balamb is mountainous so there is no way they can invade that area. The only option is the South. They are going to hit the main town and raid the beaches. Their main target is the town. If they control the town, they control the island. The battleground will probably be the plains, but it will also be the streets of the town. We are going to assist the militia and prepare the Balamb Garden vessels. We're also going to get the SeeDs to man the machine guns and stop the raids. Irvine, do you have Bahamut equipped?" asked Squall as he drew a projected path of the ships from the coordinates to Southern Balamb.

"Yes, I do," said Irvine.

"He will provide air support, but do not get him killed. I will lead a party to support the militia, while Quistis will support the SeeDs who will battle the pirates on the beaches. Irvine and Selphie will go with Quistis, while Zell and Rinoa will come with me. Are we all set?" asked Squall.

"I'm all up for kicking some pirate butt, and saving Balamb from them!" said Zell with confidence as he punched his fists in the air.

Everyone was worried, since they knew that fighting the Dark Typhoon was suicide. Rinoa looked South from the office windows.

"Look! They're coming!" yelled Rinoa.

Everyone looked South from the windows. They saw a massive battleship, a Galbadian V-Class battleship, followed by a group of three destroyers for support.

"That's odd, only four ships, half of the full fleet," said Irvine.

"They probably don't want to exhaust too much on Balamb," speculated Quistis.

Squall took a pair of binoculars, and looked again. He saw the Galbadian V-Class battleship. What the blueprint said was true. It had all the weaponry, just like it was, but manned by a different crew that looked deadlier than the Galbadian military. He could see the name of the ship. It said _Vanguard_. He could see the crews loading the guns, and raising a flag. It was black, with a white hurricane symbol and a skull in the center. He could also see the three other destroyers heading at full speed, and getting closer to the Southern coast, one heading for the beaches, two heading for the town. Squall then lowered his binoculars. He then said,

"Do we have to fight them? We could lose this," asked Rinoa.

"They want us dead. They are merciless, cold-blooded killers. They have shown their atrocities on the news and that video we just saw. We must fight for our lives," said Squall.

"I understand then," said Rinoa. Her dog, Angelo came, and whined a little. Rinoa calmed him down.

Xu then ran up to Squall.

"Squall! The students have seen the fleet. There's fear and hysteria among the students! Do something!"

"All right then, I'll make an announcement. Prepare for battle," said Squall.

"I hope you know what you're doing, but Balamb has faith in you. Make Balamb proud," said Cid.

"I will," said Squall. He then took the microphone.

"Attention! This is Squall Leonhart,"

The hallways of the garden became silent as the students listened to the speakers.

"I have returned to be your leader again. A fleet of ships have arrived. It is the fleet that we have feared the most and the fleet we must defeat for our safety. A pirate organization, the deadliest in the world called the Dark Typhoon wants to invade Balamb and exploit it, so they can dominate the seas. In the process, they want to destroy Balamb Garden, and SeeD, the very foundation which this Garden revolves around, believing that we are a threat to their rule of the seas. As you know, today, about two hours ago, when I was returning to Balamb Garden to meet with Cid, my airship, the Ragnarok, got attacked by missiles from the Dark Typhoon pirate fleet. We should have been dead from that attack, but we survived instead. Those who helped put out the fires on the wreckage, I am thankful for all of you. I know that all of you are scared, and do not know what's going to happen. But I do know is that we have to fight for our lives, since they will come to Balamb, and do not take any prisoners. They have 12,000 men. We only have 1,600. Cid has said to me that numbers do no matter. They are going to kill us no matter what. But while they have magic and monsters, we have magic, Guardian Forces, and heart. If they want us dead, surrender or not, we are not going down without a fight! We are going to defend our island, our home, and our Garden no matter how strong they are! Everyone, prepare for battle. All SeeDs and students with odd numbers will help defend the beaches, while those with even numbers will defend the town! Prepare for battle everyone! We are going to fight for Balamb, for our home, our friends, our family, and for the prize!"

After the announcement, everyone rushed to get their weapons and magic equipped. Squall, followed by Rinoa, Zell, Quistis, Selphie and Irvine walked to the elevator. They went down, to the main hall. There, they saw the all the students and SeeDs armed and ready. They followed the six heroes as they walked out of Balamb Garden and looked over the horizon. They could see the small fleet of ships already getting closer to Balamb. They saw the first shot fired from the V-Class battleship, _Vanguard_. There was an explosion on Balamb town on the horizon. Squall nodded his head as he drew out his trusted gunblade, the Lionheart. Rinoa took her weapon, the Shooting Star as Zell put on his gloves, Ehrgeiz. Quistis took out her whip, Save the Queen as Selphie took out her nunchaku, Strange Vision. Irvine loaded his gun, Exeter with ammo. The students and SeeDs behind them then took out their weapons. They were all ready for the battle against the Dark Typhoon.

_So it is inevitable then, _thought Squall as he gave out his first order.


	4. Chapter 3: The Battle for Balamb

**V-Class Battleship _Vanguard,_ Two Nautical Miles from the South Coast of Balamb**

Vice Admiral Jones stood in the bridge overseeing his battleship. A radio buzzed. He picked up the microphone.

"Vengeance to Vanguard, do you copy?"

"Loud and clear Vengeance,"

"Vice Admiral Jones, are you in position?" asked Fleet Admiral Gisborn. He was making the call from his flagship, V-Class Battleship _Vengeance_.

"We are two nautical miles away from the Southern coast of Balamb. What is your order sir?" asked the Vice Admiral.

"Arm the vessels. Sound the attack. You may fire at will at anytime possible. But your objective remains clear: capture the island at all costs,"

"What about Balamb Garden and SeeDs who will defend it? We have reports that Squall Leonhart has survived, and is ready to defend. He is very determined to defeat our fleet,"

"Squall Leonhart is only one man. Destroy the Garden. Kill him, his friends, kill everyone. Leave no man standing. Do whatever it takes to capture the island. We cannot let SeeD or the Garden stand. They must be destroyed. You have your orders, over,"

"Roger that,"

The Vice Admiral hung up the microphone. He then looked at the Captain, and issued the first order.

"Captain, raise the standard! Prepare for battle!"

The order was relayed throughout the ship within a few minutes. The Vice Admiral walked to the bridge windows, and saw the crew members getting into position. A black flag with a white hurricane symbol and a skull in the center flew. The three supporting destroyers followed suit as well.

"Adjust the main cannons 45 degrees portside!" ordered the Vice Admiral.

Within a minute, the two main cannons of the battleship turned to the left, aiming for the town of Balamb. The other destroyers pointed their cannons as well.

"Load the landing vessels! Direct the nearest two destroyers to dock! Prepare for the invasion!" ordered the Vice Admiral.

In the destroyers, and the battleship, an army of pirates and undead boarded the landing vessels. Each destroyer carried 1,000 crewmembers while the battleship carried 3,000. 2,000 pirates boarded the landing vessels, while two destroyers headed at full speed toward the town of Balamb. Within ten minutes, the landing vessels were filled with pirates, and ready to be dropped into the sea. The Vice Admiral then looked at his fleet. They were now armed and ready. He looked at the Balamb coast and the town. It looked too easy, because they have raided similar coasts like this one, but bigger and there was no coast guard or resistance force.

"FIRE!" yelled the Vice Admiral.

**Balamb Harbor**

A young boy spotted the approaching fleet. He then cried out,

"Ships approaching the harbor at twelve o'clock!"

He was followed by a crowd of people also looked at the fleet.

"What is that?" asked a woman.

"It looks like a battleship," said a man.

"Is it Galbadia?" asked another woman.

The people then saw four flags, one from each ship being raised. The flag was black with a white hurricane symbol and a skull in the center. Two of the four ships were heading at full speed toward the town harbor.

"Oh no, it's our worst nightmare," said a fisherman.

"How so?" said a woman.

"It's the Dark Typhoon!" yelled another fisherman. "They're coming to attack us! Mobilize the militia! Arm yourselves!"

The town was now in fear. They knew that the Dark Typhoon were merciless, cold-blooded killers. They knew that their lives were in danger. The people raided the junk shop for any weapons, particularly rifles, they can find. The store owners let them take the items for free, since they knew that they will be at war. Potions were also ready for any injuries. Barricades were quickly set up. The people knew that it was going to be hopeless, but they would not let their town be taken by pirates. Plus, they knew that they have Balamb Garden on their side. Ma Dincht, who was among the crowd, guided the women and children to safety in the basements of the residences.

_Zell, wherever you are, we need your help,_ thought Ma Dincht.

The large cannons from the lead battleship fired. It was a very loud shot, as the shell hit the Balamb train station.

BOOM!

There was a loud explosion, as there were screams of fear. Ma Dincht was caught in awe of the explosion. She then looked to her left. She saw a fleet of Balamb Garden vehicles. She smiled. Her son was coming, and his friends are coming to the rescue.

**V-Class Battleship _Vanguard,_ Two Nautical Miles from the South Coast of Balamb**

The Vice Admiral smiled when he saw the first explosion made by the first shot. Balamb's contact via train with the Western Continent has now been cut off. He could see the fear and hysteria. He also saw shining light of Balamb Garden as numerous vehicles began to approach the beaches and the town.

"Captain, adjust the rear cannons 90 degrees portside! Aim for Balamb Garden! Launch the landing vessels! Commence the invasion!" ordered the Vice Admiral.

The destroyers dropped the landing vessels filled with pirates into the sea. The landing vessels headed for the beaches and Balamb Harbor. Two destroyers began to head at full speed toward Balamb Harbor. The rear cannons of the _Vanguard_ turned 90 degrees portside, and fired. The Vice Admiral smiled, knowing that Balamb's resistance does not stand a chance against the fleet.

_Soon, Balamb will fall to its knees to the Dark Typhoon_, thought the Vice Admiral with sneer.

"FIRE!" yelled the Vice Admiral.

**Alcauld Plains, Balamb, 100 Meters Away from the Rinaul Coast**

A fleet of Balamb Garden vehicles parked near the beaches. Quistis, Selphie, and Irvine were the first to come out. They were followed by Nida and Xu, and an army of 800 SeeDs. They stood, waiting, looking at the beaches, ready to attack, as they saw the fleet of landing vessels approaching the beaches. Quistis estimated the number of pirates approaching. It was an invasion force of 2,000 pirates. They could see the battleship also on the horizon. They then heard another loud cannon shot. It came from the V-Class battleship, _Vanguard_, as the shell hit the gates of Balamb Garden. Selphie looked back, as she saw a large explosion right in front of Balamb Garden.

"Don't look back, focus on the objective, the attackers," said Quistis.

Selphie then took out her nunchaku, Strange Vision, and checked if she had her GF, Carbuncle equipped. Irvine loaded his Exeter rifle with Demolition Ammo, as all the Balamb Garden rifle specialists took out their rifles as well, and loaded with either Fast Ammo or Demolition Ammo. They aimed their rifles at the approaching landing vessels. Quistis saw the remaining Balamb Garden vehicles approach the town of Balamb.

_I hope you make it out alive, Squall,_ thought Quistis. She then saw the Dark Typhoon landing vessels come ashore. The doors opened, as a horde of pirates came out, yelling out a battle cry, and rushing to the plains from the beaches.

"FIRE AT WILL!" yelled Quistis as she cracked her whip.

BOOM!

Irvine and the riflemen fired, unleashing numerous rounds of Demolition Ammo, causing a huge explosion and killing the first wave of pirates. Selphie summoned Carbuncle, giving every Garden student and SeeD protection from deadly spells. Soon, there was a large mob of pirates storming Balamb.

"WAAAGGGGHHHH!" cried out the pirates as they held up their swords and charged.

"CHARGE!" yelled Quistis.

First, the pirates cast fire magic on the defenders, but they were deflected, thanks to Selphie's Carbuncle, and they killed numerous pirates in the process. Selphie made her first strike, knocking away two pirates with her nunchaku, while Quistis also made her first strike, as the blade of her whip pierced through the head of another pirate, killing him instantly. The battle had begun. As Quistis, Selphie, Xu and Nida kept fighting and casting powerful magic, Irvine and the riflemen kept shooting, killing numerous pirates and undead in the process.

**Balamb Harbor**

A convoy of Balamb Garden vehicles arrived. Squall, followed by Zell and Rinoa, and an army of 800 SeeDs got out. Squall looked at the harbor. He could see two destroyers approaching the harbor, a fleet of landing vessels already on the beaches, and a closer view of the V-Class battleship firing its cannons. The Magistrate of Balamb walked up to Squall and shook his hand.

"Thank goodness you are here!"

"How many people are here to defend this place?" asked Squall.

"We have mobilized 50 able men ready to take on the Dark Typhoon. How many men are going to invade?" asked the Magistrate.

Squall saw the two destroyers getting very close to the harbor. He knew that each destroyer carried 1,000 men, so an invasion force of 2,000 would be at the most.

"2,000 is my estimate. Another 2,000 are coming to the beaches,"

"2,000 pirates against 850 SeeDs and militia?! This is suicide!" cried out the Magistrate.

"I know. But we have no choice. They'll kill us, regardless if we surrender. I'll do what I can, and use probably some powerful magic. I think we have a chance of crippling the fleet at the best. These pirates might not be that strong, and from what I observed, they only know simple magic. They only have heavy firepower to back themselves up. Even so, I expect heavy casualties,"

"What should we do?" asked the Magistrate.

"All we can do is defend the town at all costs," said Squall.

Zell saw his mother, he ran up to her.

"Ma! Are you all right?" asked Zell.

"Yes, I'm fine. Now go stop those pirates!" replied Ma Dincht as she returned to her house.

"I will," said Zell as he looked at the horizon.

A SeeD walked up to Squall.

"What are your orders?"

"Board the Balamb Garden landing vessels! Man the machine guns! Fire at any pirate that enters this town! Defend the town at all costs!"

"Are we going to get anymore support?" asked the SeeD.

"Yes, Alexander will be there," replied Squall.

"Who's Alexander?" asked the Magistrate.

"Our support," said Squall.

The SeeDs got into position, as they boarded the Balamb Garden landing vessels, manning the machine guns. Squall then looked at the harbor. He drew out his gunblade. The destroyers were already docked, as a swarm of pirates entered Balamb.

"WAAAAAGGGGGGHHHHHH!" cried out the pirates, as they drew out their swords, and fired their rifles.

"Fire the machine guns! All riflemen, fire at will!" yelled Squall.

The first wave of pirates and undead were killed instantly by the numerous gunfire. Rinoa went behind a barricade to support a Balamb militia squad and fired the Shooting Star. A pirate tried to deflect it with his two swords, but the projectile sliced through the blades, and his abdomen, killing him instantly. When the projectile returned to Rinoa, the blades were already thickly covered with blood. She kept firing it, killing as many pirates as she could. Squall led the close range attack, as he charged at full speed with his Lionheart gunblade. He quickly killed six pirates instantly within three swings. Zell jumped into the battle, as he performed a Mach Kick, which forcefully brought back two pirates, and knocking the invading swarm like bowling pins. He then did a Punch Rush, blowing back numerous pirates and a Booya on another. Rinoa kept launching her Shooting Star, killing numerous pirates, as Squall, Zell, and a few other SeeDs kept fighting the pirates and the undead that accompanied them. Machine gunfire continued as well.

_The pirates were easier than I expected. Almost easier than killing Galbadian soldiers, _thought Squall, as he made several swings, killing more pirates, and used Holy magic to kill the undead.

**V-Class Battleship _Vanguard,_ Two Nautical Miles from the South Coast of Balamb**

The Vice Admiral watched the two battles from the bridge. It has been 30 minutes since he had ordered the invasion. He could clearly see that the invasion force clearly outnumbered the defenders, but somehow, he was also seeing numerous men on his side being killed. The Captain said,

"Sir! We have lost just about 25 percent of the invasion force!"

_Those bastards! But we still have the firepower and they are still outnumbered_, thought the Vice Admiral.

"RELOAD THE CANNONS!" yelled the Vice Admiral.

The crewmembers of the battleship refitted the main and rear cannons with even more powerful artillery shells.

"FIRE AT WILL! FIRE AT THE DEFENDERS AS WELL! DO NOT STOP UNTIL THE TOWN IS DESTROYED! DESTROY THE RESISTANCE!" ordered the Vice Admiral.

The cannons on the battleship fired numerous loud shots continuously.

**Alcauld Plains, Balamb, 100 Meters Away from the Rinaul Coast**

It seemed to be a winning battle for SeeD. They have not suffered any combat deaths, but numerous injuries. Quistis, Selphie, Irvine, Xu and Nida had killed 30 percent of the invading force, as the rest of the SeeD defense force continued to fight. Suddenly, there was a huge explosion. Two Balamb Garden vehicles exploded, as a group of SeeD cadets went flying, killing them. The battleship on the horizon kept firing, as more explosions continued throughout the battlefield. SeeDs were starting to get killed. It was turning into a losing battle, as the pirates regained the advantage on the battlefield. Quistis was suddenly thrown back by an explosion from another shelling by the battleship. Nida ran up to her,

"Quistis! Are you all right?!"

She was slightly injured on her right leg, but she said,

"I'm okay, AH! My leg!" She looked at it. It was hit by shrapnel.

"Come on!" said Nida as he took her to Dr. Kadowaki, who set up a tent about 100 meters away from the battlefield.

Explosions continued throughout the beaches and the plains, creating craters. Numerous SeeDs were sent flying, killing or injuring some in the process. The tide was starting to turn toward the pirates. But Selphie and Irvine were not going to let that happen.

"Irvine! Do something!" cried out Selphie as she kept knocking away more pirates and undead with her nunchaku.

Irvine, who was still firing his rifle, and had now killed at least a hundred pirates, knew that it was time. He summoned for Bahamut, who was fully armed and ready.

"BAHAMUT! DEFEND US! ATTACK!" yelled Irvine.

Selphie also decided to summon for Cactuar as well.

"CACTAUR! DEFEND US! ATTACK!" yelled Selphie.

**Balamb Harbor, One Hour after Invasion**

The machine guns kept firing, but they were running low on ammo to defeat the entire invasion force. The Balamb militia was also running low on ammo as they kept firing their rifles from the windows of the buildings. Squall, Rinoa, and Zell had each killed more than a hundred pirates and undead. Rinoa had even got her dog, Angelo, to help with the fighting, as he did many strike moves. Even though Squall, Zell, Rinoa, and the rest of the SeeDs continued fighting the pirates, and killed 45 percent of the invasion force, they knew that they will still be facing more trouble. Squall then saw the V-Class battleship starting to fire continuously toward the town of Balamb.

"INCOMING!" yelled Squall.

BOOM! BOOM!

Several buildings in the town of Balamb exploded and collapsed. Two squads of Balamb militia were killed from the shelling. Another explosion sent Zell flying, but he flipped, and landed on his feet.

"Zell! Are you okay?" yelled out Rinoa.

"Yeah! Just a little banged up there!" said Zell as he ran back to the battlefield. He then made another Mach Kick on a pirate, knocking him away. He then yelled out,

"Squall! You might need this! AURA!"

Zell then cast the Aura spell on Squall, giving Squall the ability to use his special move, the Renzokuken more often. Squall was then energized by this magical energy Zell cast, and pulled numerous deadly moves with his gunblade, killing even more pirates. However, the V-Class battleship continued to fire. A shell made a direct hit on Balamb Harbor, sending Squall, Zell, and a group of SeeDs flying. Zell was able to land safely, but a couple of SeeDs were killed instantly. Squall was thrown onto a barricade. Rinoa was nearby, and she checked to see if Squall was ok.

"Squall! Squall! Please speak to me!" Rinoa cried out.

Squall was able to move.

"I'm okay Rinoa. I can get up," said Squall as he saw the horizon. The pirates continued to fight their way through. It was starting to look like a losing battle for them, as the pirates have a lot of cover fire from the V-Class battleship that was still continuing to fire. Squall saw Zell, who was also starting to get up and prepare himself to return to battle. Squall then turned to Zell, and said,

"Zell! Summon Ifrit! You know what to do!"

"Yes Squall! IFRIT! DEFEND US! ATTACK!" yelled Zell.

Squall then got up, and yelled,

"ALEXANDER! DEFEND US! ATTACK!"

Squall then looked up at the sky. It seemed that the clouds were moving.

**V-Class Battleship _Vanguard,_ Two Nautical Miles from the South Coast of Balamb**

The Vice Admiral smiled as the battleship continued firing. The invading pirates were starting to advance into Balamb. _Soon, we will win the battle, and Balamb will be ours, _thought the Vice Admiral.

"Admiral! I got something on radar!" yelled the Captain.

"What can it be? We are winning the battle!" asked the Vice Admiral.

"I don't know. I'm detecting a giant piece of machinery suddenly appearing in the Balamb Mountains! I'm also detecting a large flying object coming in from the north and heading straight for us and a giant organism flying out of the Balamb Fire Caverns in the East!"

The Vice Admiral looked at the windows from the bridge. He took out his binoculars. He could see a giant mechanical monster moving from the mountains of Balamb. It opened its top, which looked like missile launchers. The Vice Admiral also heard a loud roar. He got onto the balcony of the battleship bridge to get a better view. He was followed by the Captain and the officers as well. A giant dark blue dragon was also flying from the mountains as well. Then, the Vice Admiral heard another loud roar from the West. He quickly looked to the left. He saw a gigantic brown muscular monster flying above Balamb Harbor, and directly above the two docked destroyers. The monster's body shaped like a human, gold bracelets on each arm, with the face of lion, and long curled horns. It carried a giant, red hot ball of magma. The Vice Admiral then looked at the beaches of Balamb. He then saw a giant cactus-shaped beast popping out and standing in a strange contorted position. The giant cactus caught the invasion force by surprise. The Vice Admiral was stunned at what he saw. He and the officers then rushed back into the bridge to make a few changes in tactics.

"Arm the Reaper Missile launchers! Shoot down that bloody dragon before it breathes fire on us! Aim the main cannons for that giant fire demon and fire at it with all you got! Aim the rear cannons on that giant cactus-like thing and shoot at it until it blows up! Order the nearest destroyer to fire sea to land missiles on that giant missile launcher!" ordered the Vice Admiral.

"Missiles are armed sir," said the Captain.

"FIRE!" yelled the Vice Admiral.

Every gun on the battleship unleashed all the firepower it got. But it was too late. The Guardian Forces have already begun their attacks.

**Balamb Harbor**

A few seconds after Zell called for the fire Guardian Force, Ifrit to arrive, Ifrit appeared behind Zell.

"YOU CALLED?" said the fiery giant.

Zell pointed to the two docked destroyers.

"AFFIRMATIVE!" said Ifrit as he jumped into the sky carrying a giant sphere of magma. He violently threw the giant sphere, causing a massive explosion, killing numerous pirates and undead, while setting the two ships on fire, and crippling them.

"CHARGE!" yelled Squall as he and Zell led the surviving SeeDs to kill off the remaining pirates. The tide of the battle was now starting to turn, thanks to the help of the Guardian Forces. As the defenders of Balamb began to kill the remaining pirates, Squall heard a rumble from the mountains of Balamb. He looked back, and saw Alexander, opening the lids of his Holy Judgment missile launchers. Alexander then fired numerous holy missile bolts toward the V-Class battleship.

**Alcauld Plains, Balamb, 100 Meters Away from the Rinaul Coast**

The Jumbo Cactuar that Selphie summoned popped out from the ground. The charging pirates were suddenly thrown back. They then got up and were about to attack the Cactuar, but the Jumbo Cactuar performed its most deadly attack, 10,000 Needles. A giant barrage of cactus needles was unleashed.

"AAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!" cried out the pirates, as they were literally being mowed down by the needles, followed by Irvine and the SeeD riflemen's cover fire. The last beach invasion force was eliminated within a few seconds, but the battlefield was covered with bodies and blood. The battle for the Alcauld Plains was over.

"Take that, pirate scum! WOO HOO!" said Selphie as she jumped in joy. Irvine lowered his rifle, knowing that they have eliminated the entire invasion force. He slowly walked to Selphie.

"Irvine! We did it! We held back the pirates!" said Selphie with joy as she embraced Irvine.

"What can I say?" said Irvine with a smile as he looked up in the sky. He could hear the echo of a roar, as Bahamut flew over them, and began to attack the destroyer off the coast, as Alexander continued to fire his Holy Judgment on the V-Class battleship.

**V-Class Battleship _Vanguard,_ Two Nautical Miles from the South Coast of Balamb**

BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!

Bahamut unleashed his fury, as he continued to breathe out numerous fiery flares on the remaining two ships from the air. The anti-aircraft machine guns and the Reaper-Class missiles tried to stop Bahamut, but he was too powerful for them. The first two ships that docked on Balamb Harbor were already destroyed by Ifrit's Hell Fire attack. Alexander's Holy Judgment continued pounding heavily on the _Vanguard. _Vice Admiral Jones could not believe his eyes as he saw his entire fleet being devastated. He saw the third destroyer situated off the coast of Balamb on fire, until Bahamut breathed out his last Mega Flare, blowing up the main bridge of the destroyer, sinking it.

"Sir! We've lost contact with destroyer #3! We have no support fleet!" yelled the Captain.

The bridge started to shake violently as explosions continued to rock the V-Class battleship. Bahamut then flew toward the _Vanguard_, and began to breathe more fiery flares on the deck of the battleship. The guns stopped firing because Alexander's Holy Judgment had already destroyed the weaponry. The pirates were screaming in terror, as Bahamut crippled the last defenses of the ship. There was chaos and disorder. The Vice Admiral then relayed a message.

"They are killing the _Vanguard_! Abandon ship! Abandon ship!"

The Vice Admiral then left the bridge, right when it was about to explode. There was fire and bodies all over the deck. He looked up at the sky. Bahamut continued to be merciless. The Vice Admiral then grabbed a flotation device, and jumped into the water. Suddenly, there was a giant explosion on the center of the ship, breaking into two, and causing it to sink. The Vice Admiral was lucky enough to survive as he began to swim. A small and aggressive fleet of four ships were quickly destroyed by the strength of the Guardian Forces.

**Balamb Harbor**

Zell killed the last pirate standing. It was all over. He looked around. There were bodies all over the place and blood covering the streets. He jumped up in triumph, as Squall and Rinoa surveyed the area. Squall saw the two burning destroyers docked, as the people of Balamb tried to put the fires out so they would not spread into the already damaged town. He looked at the coast again, where he saw the V-Class battleship now broken in two, and slowly sinking into the sea. He saw Bahamut flying into the clouds as well. The dragon's task was finished.

"OH YEAH!" yelled Zell as he continued to jump up in joy.

Although Zell was happy they won the battle, Squall was in slight shock, because the town of Balamb turned into a dark war zone. Buildings were either damaged by the shelling or devastated. He could smell the smoke and the blood that had already began to cover the pleasant sea breeze odor. Squall then looked at Balamb Garden. It was partly damaged from the shelling but still standing. Zell then ran up to Squall.

"Squall! I'm going back home to see if my mother is all right if it's fine with you,"

"Do what you have to do, but remain alert. We only defeated half of the fleet," said Squall.

Zell then went to his mother's house, which was partly damaged from the shelling. Fortunately, the women and children who Ma Dincht escorted to safety were all right. Rinoa then walked up to Squall. She was exhausted. Squall then noticed that she had a cut on her right arm, but it was bandaged.

"Rinoa! What happened? Are you all right?" asked Squall.

"A pirate almost cut my arm. I was able to kill him with some magic. It's not that bad, don't worry about it. We got to go see whether if Quistis, Selphie, and Irvine are all right," said Rinoa.

"Yeah…" said Squall.

Rinoa and Squall then headed over to the Alcauld Plains. Rinoa's dog, Angelo also followed.

**Alcauld Plains, Balamb, 100 Meters Away from the Rinaul Coast**

Squall and Rinoa surveyed the battlefield. It was an awful sight. Bodies were lying everywhere while the field was covered with blood. He could see the surviving SeeDs cover and carry the bodies of the SeeDs who died in the battle. It was an awful smell as well. Rinoa then spotted Selphie and Irvine, resting by a Balamb Garden vehicle, but Quistis was nowhere in sight. Rinoa then ran up to them as a SeeD began to give Squall a battle report and a damage assessment. Selphie saw Rinoa. She jumped up in joy.

"Rinoa! You made it back!" cried out Selphie as she jumped up to Rinoa and hugged her. Selphie then spotted Angelo as well.

"Oh! Angelo! You're here too! I'm so glad to see you Rinoa!"

"Yeah, and I'm so glad to see you and Irvine make it as well! But where's Quistis? Is she all right?" asked Rinoa.

"She got a leg injury from the shelling. She's in stable condition and is being treated at the infirmary. She was very lucky. As you can see, we lost a lot of good SeeDs out there. We could have lost this if it was not for Bahamut and Cactuar," said Irvine.

"Well, thank goodness," said Rinoa.

"Is everything all right? Where's Quistis?" asked Squall as he walked up to Rinoa, Selphie and Irvine.

"Infirmary, being treated for an injury. She'll be ok," said Rinoa.

Squall then felt relieved. He was worried that his former instructor would not survive. Only forty percent of the SeeDs defending the Alcauld Plains survived the pirate invasion. A SeeD then ran up to Squall.

"Squall! We just found a survivor from the wreckage of the battleship!"

A group of SeeDs then dragged a man, who was ragged from escaping from the explosions of the battleship. From what he was wearing, Squall could tell that this man was an officer. The man was handcuffed while one SeeD was pointing a rifle at the man's head. Another SeeD was pointing a spear at him as well. The man's face looked very familiar to Squall. Squall then said,

"You are now under arrest for threatening the island of Balamb. It appears that you are the sole survivor. Name and rank, pirate,"

"Vice Admiral Leopold Jones," said the man.

Squall was surprised. He could not believe that the sole survivor of the fleet was the one who led the attack and the one who left the video message to him. Squall then kicked the Vice Admiral in the stomach. The Vice Admiral fell back and groaned in pain.

"Get up," said one of the SeeDs who grabbed the Vice Admiral by the arm. Another SeeD grabbed the Vice Admiral by the other arm.

"Take him to a safe room in the Garden. Lock him in and make sure he does not escape," said Squall.

A group of five SeeDs then dragged Squall's new prisoner to Balamb Garden.

"What are you going to do?" asked Rinoa.

"Interrogate him. We may have captured the second in command of the Dark Typhoon, but we still have to stop the rest of the fleet. The Dark Typhoon will still continue to threaten us, and we have to finish the job of defeating them for good," said Squall.

Squall, Rinoa, Selphie and Irvine then walked toward Balamb Garden as the SeeDs continued to recover bodies. No one had ever challenged the Dark Typhoon's brutal rule of the seas until now, when Squall had led his forces to defeat half of the pirate organization's fleet.

**V-Class Battleship _Vengeance_**

"_Vanguard,_ do you copy?"

There was no answer. It was a few hours after the battleship _Vanguard_ and her fleet attacked Balamb. They had lost all radio contact. _This couldn't be, _thought Fleet Admiral Gisborn, as he stood in the bridge of the battleship as he continued to survey the ocean. _There is no way that a small force of young men and women can bring down a fleet of four ships and 6,000 pirates!_

"Admiral! We got a video message from an unidentified source," said the Captain.

"Patch it through, Captain," said the Fleet Admiral.

A screen came up. A video popped up showing a young man, with slightly long hair, wearing a leather jacket with fur lining. The man looked familiar to the Fleet Admiral. It was Squall Leonhart. Squall then began to speak.

"This is Squall Leonhart of Balamb Garden delivering this message to the Fleet Admiral of the Dark Typhoon. A few hours ago you have tried to kill me and my friends. We survived. A couple of hours ago you have sent half of your powerful fleet to try to conquer our island and destroy Balamb Garden in the process. We survived. Don't believe me? Take a look again!"

The video showed images of the destroyed and sunken fleet. It also showed numerous bodies of the pirates that tried to invade. It then showed the Vice Admiral as a prisoner, handcuffed, with two SeeDs pointing guns at his head. Then the video showed Squall again.

"If you think you can kill me and destroy SeeD, think again. We have weakened your fleet. Fleet Admiral, your reign of terror is going to end!"

The video ended. The Fleet Admiral, angry that he had lost the battle of Balamb, slammed his fist on the table. He was already filled with vengeance.

"Set sail!" ordered the Fleet Admiral.


	5. Chapter 4: A Merciless Interrogation

**Balamb Garden, 2F**

Squall walked down the hallway followed by Rinoa and Zell. It has been four hours since the battle. The three headed for a room that was heavily guarded by SeeDs. That room had their prisoner, Vice Admiral Jones, who was the sole survivor of the Dark Typhoon when the battle was over. They walked in, where they saw the Vice Admiral, handcuffed to a chair, guarded by two SeeDs.

"Leave us," said Squall.

The two SeeDs guarding the Vice Admiral left the room, leaving Squall, Rinoa, and Zell, along with the tied up Vice Admiral. The Vice Admiral had his head down at first, but when he saw Squall's presence, he raised his head. He then smiled, and said,

"You can't win. Even though you brought down our fleet, we managed to kill more than half of your forces. But I am surprised that a taciturn leader like you along with a naïve lady and a chicken-wuss of a boy can survive the firepower of the Dark Typhoon. They're coming. They're coming to defeat you,"

Zell threw a punch at the Vice Admiral's face. After that blow, Rinoa and Squall restrained him. The Vice Admiral did not yell out in pain, but his nose was bleeding. He then continued to laugh.

"YOU'LL NEVER GET WHAT YOU WANT! LET ME AT HIM!" yelled Zell as Squall and Rinoa restrained him.

They got Zell to sit down at a chair. Squall then whispered a few things to him.

"Control yourself. We barely survived an attack. He is the only lead we got. DO NOT SCREW THIS UP!" He then got up.

"Rinoa, take Zell to the cafeteria. I believe they're serving hot dogs,"

"What are you going to do?" asked Rinoa.

"Make him break," said Squall.

"How?"

Squall then whispered something in Rinoa's left ear.

"You can't be serious!" replied Rinoa in shock.

"We're dealing with one of the most brutal pirates that this world has ever faced. Did you see what they did to FH? We're going to make the Dark Typhoon fear us, so we can gain the initiative," said Squall.

"Then I hope the ends justify the means. I guess Laguna taught you that did he?" she said.

"Yes. Now go," said Squall.

Rinoa, along with a couple of SeeDs then took feisty Zell away. Squall then walked up to the Vice Admiral. He grabbed a chair, and sat in front of him. The Vice Admiral, with his nose still bleeding, looked at him.

"You're pathetic, you know that? You and your friends. You really think you can stop us?"

"Why don't you cut back with the insults and the boasting and get right to the point? I've read about your organization and fleet. We know that we only brought down half the fleet. We even knew about that before we fought. We have our sources and we saw your video message. Now, answer my question, where is your Fleet Admiral?" asked Squall.

"You really think you can defeat the Dark Typhoon? Our fleet is powerful. Why do you choose to resist?"

"Because you have killed people that I have cared about and ravaged the face of the earth. You have tried to kill me and threatened those that I loved as well. This is payback for all of your crimes. You're going to cooperate. I'm double the worst trouble that you've ever faced in your life. Now tell me, Vice Admiral, where are your superiors?" asked Squall sternly.

The Vice Admiral spitted blood on Squall. It stained his Griever chain. The prisoner then laughed sadistically as Squall wiped the blood off with his hanker chief. Squall then gave the Vice Admiral an evil look.

"Well, I'm going to have to resort to different means,"

"Like what? I'm not going to submit to a pathetic little whelp like you!" said the Vice Admiral.

"Like this," said Squall. He then took out a knife and walked behind the Vice Admiral. He then crouched down, and motioned his knife toward the Vice Admiral's cuffed hands.

"What are you doing? AAAAAAAHHHHHHHH!"

The Vice Admiral screamed in pain. Soon, a small puddle of blood was beginning to form on the Vice Admiral's chair. Within a few minutes, Squall then got up, and walked in front of the Vice Admiral holding a finger. He had cut the left little finger of the Vice Admiral. He showed the now severed finger right in front of the Vice Admiral's eyes.

"WHERE ARE THEY?" yelled Squall.

"You're going to suffer for this! Once the Dark Typhoon knows what you have been doing to me, they will retaliate with brutality!" yelled the Vice Admiral.

"Your organization brought brutality to the seas and to our land! You have threatened and killed those I have cared about. Until you give me the answer I want, I will cut another finger of my choosing. If you still don't budge then this will be next," said Squall as he pointed his knife toward the groin of the Vice Admiral.

"You're bluffing," said the Vice Admiral, but Squall did not react to his statement as Squall was already behind him. Squall then crouched and motioned his knife toward the Vice Admiral's cuffed hands.

"PLEASE! NO! NO! NO! AAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHH!"

Within two minutes, Squall had two severed fingers on his hand. He had cut the left ring finger. The Vice Admiral's hands were bleeding profusely.

"Do you really think I'm bluffing here! Don't make me repeat the question!" yelled Squall as he showed the Vice Admiral the two severed fingers.

"You're a merciless monster," said the Vice Admiral.

"Monster? I'm not the one responsible for a bunch of stolen ships. I'm not the one who wreaked havoc on the seas. I'm not the one who raided a peaceful settlement and killed numerous civilians in the process! Who's the monster now? You're going to cooperate, or you're going to lose your balls. Do not mess with me!" yelled Squall as he threw the severed fingers on the ground. He then proceeded to move the knife blade toward the Vice Admiral's groin.

"Wait! They're going to Trabia! That's the next location!" cried out the Vice Admiral.

Squall then moved his knife away from the Vice Admiral. He then asked,

"What do they plan to do there?"

"Attack it, duh! Our intentions were to show that we can truly dominate the seas. By attacking Balamb and Trabia within two days, we can show that we can dominate the North, and continue to bring fear to Galbadia and Esthar. I was ordered by the Fleet Admiral to invade Balamb while he would gather intelligence for the next attack Trabia. Once we have Balamb, they would attack Trabia next. But now that you have destroyed my fleet, I do not know whether they would proceed with the invasion," whimpered the Vice Admiral.

"When will they attack?"

"At dawn,"

"What makes you think that I would believe you?" asked Squall as motioned his knife toward the Vice Admiral's groin.

"Because that's the truth! Please don't cut my balls!" cried out the Vice Admiral as he whimpered. He then continued to bawl at Squall's intimidating presence.

Squall then put his knife away, and walked out of the room. He saw four SeeDs waiting outside.

"What should be done with him sir?" asked one of the SeeDs.

"I'll get the Galbadians to have him extradited from Balamb to the D-District Prison. He's number two on the most wanted list of pirates sought after for capture," said Squall. He then headed for the 3rd floor office.

**Headmaster's Office, 3F, Balamb Garden**

Squall arrived at the office within a few minutes. There, Cid, Edea, Rinoa, Zell, and Xu were waiting. Since Cid handed over his command to Squall, he was allowed to sit on the Headmaster's chair. He sat down, and hung his head. Rinoa walked over to Squall. She saw Squall's eyes. A couple of tears were coming out.

"What's wrong? You should be proud. You defeated half of the most powerful fleets that this world has ever faced. No military has been able to accomplish this in decades," whispered Rinoa.

"960 young men and women died today. It was a costly victory. If we continue to fight, we will be destroyed,"

"I think we can find a way to stop them. We're not alone in this battle. I just called my father, he has something to say. Once we finish this war, we'll honor the dead. We will stand with you all the way,"

Squall quickly wiped the tears. He then looked up at Cid.

"How badly damaged is the Garden?"

"The cafeteria and parking lot were damaged heavily. The gates and entry walkways are also destroyed. I estimate that it will cost more than ten million Gil to complete the repairs. But don't worry about that. We have to stop the Dark Typhoon before they continue to attack," said Cid.

"I think you might want to take a look at this. It's the news," said Xu she held up a remote control, and pulled up a video screen.

She tuned it to the news channel. It was the Timber Broadcasting Corporation, the premier channel for the world's news. TBC News 24 has been the most reliable news channel, particularly for viewers who live in Timber, Dollet, Winhill, Trabia, Fisherman's Horizon and even Esthar (Esthar Sky Digital has been an aggressive competitor though). The channel showed the trademark TBC opening while playing the trademark theme. It then cut to a young and attractive anchorwoman while showing a news ticker talking about various events in Galbadia, Esthar, and other places around the world, but these stories centered around the Dark Typhoon.

"Good evening. I'm Katie Callahan. The time is now eight o'clock, while the island of Balamb has met its darkest hour. Six hours ago, at two in the afternoon, an unidentified fleet of naval ships have attacked the town of Balamb, the capital of the island, while attempting to bomb the Garden located in the center of the island. An army of 1,600 Garden students, along with a small force of fifty Balamb militia valiantly defended the island, and somehow destroyed the fleet. We take you live to Balamb where Peter Jameson has that story. Peter?"

The video screen then showed a young and also handsome man holding a microphone standing in what seems to be the Balamb Hotel.

"Thank you Katie. We have been kept in this hotel for more than six hours due to the threat of the attack and the prolonged battle that ensued throughout the town and the island. As you know, an unidentified fleet of four naval ships led by what is believed to be a stolen Galbadian V-Class Battleship attacked Balamb earlier. As you can see here, the devastation laid by this fleet was tremendous. Numerous buildings and houses destroyed. People are still running everywhere to treat the wounded in what seems to be the biggest attack on Balamb soil,"

"Peter, do you think that the group responsible for this attack is the Dark Typhoon, the biggest pirate organization in the world?"

"It is no doubt in my mind that the Dark Typhoon is responsible for this, Katie. Although the pirates did kill numerous people on Balamb, this is the first time that these attackers have been defeated, as an army of 1,600 students from Balamb Garden along with fifty Balamb militia somehow counterattacked, sinking the fleet and crippling the Dark Typhoon, for now,"

"Now how did a force so small destroy a fleet equipped with the most advanced Galbadian military technology along with an army of 6,000 pirates? It's nearly an impossible feat,"

The video screen then showed video clips of the entire battle on Balamb. These clips showed the SeeDs on the Alcauld Plains fighting the pirates, Ifrit launching his Hell Fire attack, Alexander coming out from the mountains launching his Holy Judgment attack, destroying the fleet, Cactaur shooting his needles at the pirates, and Bahamut spitting out his Mega Flare attack on the Galbadian V-Class Battleship

"From what I've seen and my crew have captured, they seemed to have used something called Guardian Forces a.k.a. GFs. These are powerful summons that unleash powerful magical energy. You can see here, from the footage that we have captured earlier that one of the students have summoned a GF that can throw fire, while another has summoned a giant dragon, and that dragon was key in defeating one of the command ships of the Dark Typhoon,"

"We have reports that the island has suffered massive casualties. What is the report from Balamb regarding that?"

"We just got a confirmed report that 960 students from Balamb Garden have died in the attack. 250 civilians were also killed as well in the town--"

"Turn it off Xu. We still have unfinished business," interrupted Squall.

Xu then turned off the video screen. The room was silent. Zell then asked,

"What did our prisoner say? Where are the remaining pirates?"

"They are heading to Trabia, to attack the settlements and probably the Garden there at dawn tomorrow," said Squall.

"Are you sure?" asked Xu.

"Pretty sure," said Squall.

"Then we have to do what we have to do then. Defeat the Dark Typhoon once and for all at Trabia!" said Zell as he readied his fists.

"But how are we going to do that? We lost a lot of men and women in that battle, and we have exhausted most of our resources. We are not ready for a full-scale battle similar to the one that we fought!" said Xu.

"We will not be alone when we are fighting the Dark Typhoon," said Squall. He then looked at Rinoa.

Within a few minutes, Rinoa was able to call her father, Prime Minister Caraway of Galbadia. She was then able to set up a video call, as the Prime Minister of Galbadia appeared on the video screen. Squall was also able to call his father, President Laguna Loire of Esthar as well. He also appeared in a video screen as well, and now SeeD was able to talk to the two politicians at the same time.

"Hello Rinoa, Squall. I am glad to see that you are all right. The Republic of Galbadia sends its condolences to the people who valiantly defended Balamb. We also got word that Vice Admiral Leopold Jones will be extradited to us. He will be formally prosecuted by the High Court of Galbadia. What can I do for you?" said the Prime Minister.

"We need your help in defeating the Dark Typhoon. We got intelligence that they will be approaching the coasts of Trabia, and that they will strike at the settlements at dawn. Can you order a strike force to stop the remnants of the fleet? Our forces have been exhausted," said Squall.

"I can relay a direct order to Galbadia Naval Command. I have a small expeditionary fleet of five small ships that just departed from the island where the Shumi Village is located. However, they cannot take the fleet alone. They need some support in terms of firepower and anti-ballistic missile support. I need the cooperation of SeeD Guardian Forces and Esthar," said the Prime Minister from his office.

Squall then looked at Laguna, who was also sitting in his office in Esthar and watching Squall and Rinoa from the video screen.

"I just heard what the Prime Minister said. First off, I am glad that you are safe, my son. The Dark Typhoon has been a threat to many of the nations of the world. I know that the Federal Assembly of Esthar will not like this, but I will send a naval force to assist the Galbadian Expeditionary Fleet as well. I can have the naval fleet of six ships to arrive at the Trabia coast within 24 hours. I can order a small squadron of fighters to do a series of bombing attacks."

"Can you send a small force as well? It would be great to get Guardian Forces and powerful magical support," asked the Prime Minister to Squall.

"I have a couple of landing vessels. I can send a small force on one of the landing vessels to help hijack one of the ships, and use it against the pirates," said Squall.

"Good then. The Republic of Galbadia will be with you all the way. I'll relay the order to the expeditionary fleet to attack the Dark Typhoon at precisely 5:00 AM. Take good care of Rinoa and Godspeed," said the Prime Minister. The video transmission then ended.

"I'll also relay the order to the 1st Esthar Expeditionary Fleet and Psi Squadron. They will arrive at Trabia by 5:15 AM while the bombs will be dropped from the squadron once they arrive at 5:20. Esthar will be with you as well my son," said Laguna. The video transmission then ended as well.

"What's the next step then?" asked Zell.

"We must strike the Dark Typhoon before they attack at dawn. I will arrange a team of my choosing to board one of the landing vessels. Rinoa, find Irvine and Selphie. I think I have some idea on what they are doing now. Zell, check to see if Quistis is all right and find Nida. He's proven himself to be very dependable. Xu, you stay here. We need to devise a plan of attack,"

"Am I coming along?" asked Xu.

"Yes. You were one of the most reliable SeeDs out there." said Squall.

"Thank you," said Xu with a smile.

Zell then left the Headmaster's Office, and headed for the infirmary to look for Quistis. There, he would find a big surprise…

Rinoa also followed suit with Zell. She headed for the dormitories, the last place where she saw Selphie and Irvine. There, she would find somewhat of a surprise as well…


	6. Chapter 5: Intimacy and Plan of Attack

**Balamb Garden Dormitories**

_I don't even want to know what Irvine and Selphie are doing. I just want to help Squall out_, thought Rinoa as she arrived at the dormitories. She was standing in front of the door of Selphie's room. _I really do not want to do a thing like this_, thought Rinoa as she got herself ready to knock on the door.

"I'm going to… oh… I'm going to… yes… Irvine…"

"Selphie… uh…"

Selphie moaned and cried out as Irvine grunted and moaned. Irvine was lying on his back, on Selphie's bed while Selphie was on top of him, with her lower torso on top of Irvine's lower torso. Both were naked, as Irvine gripped his hands on Selphie's breasts. His hard engorged flesh was already buried under her soft folds of her inner thighs. Their bodies continued to gyrate, until Selphie cried out, feeling something burst inside her. Irvine moaned, as he felt a short, but great moment of bliss inside him. Selphie then landed on Irvine, her body then lying beside him. She giggled, and said,

"That was amazing! I think you're getting better,"

"Really? Then what can I do to make it better?" asked Irvine.

"Oh I can't tell you that, but I still love you. This was still great. I think we are going to do this more often," said Selphie as she giggled. She then kissed Irvine for about 30 seconds.

Suddenly there was a knock on the door.

"Oh, shit!" said Irvine as he and Selphie got up.

"Who is it?" asked Selphie as she quickly grabbed her clothes and began to put them on.

"It's Rinoa! Is Irvine in there too? Squall needs you!"

"Yeah! Give us a few minutes!" yelled Selphie.

_Great, I interrupted Selphie and Irvine while they were having sex. I hope they do not do the same thing when Squall and I have our moments,_ thought Rinoa as she waited. She then looked at the flower drawings that Selphie decorated on the door.

A few minutes later, Selphie, with her clothes on, opened the door. Irvine was right behind her, with his clothes on as well. Rinoa stood, looking a little suspicious.

"Sorry about that. We were--" said Selphie.

"I know. I'm sorry for bothering," said Rinoa.

"Don't mention it. You came at good timing. What did Squall want?" asked Selphie.

"He wanted us to head to the Headmaster's Office. We are going on another mission," said Rinoa.

"Is it the Dark Typhoon again?" asked Irvine.

"Yes, they are going to strike at Trabia at dawn tomorrow," said Rinoa.

"Oh no! We have to go right away!" cried out Selphie.

The three then left the dormitories and headed for the Headmaster's Office to see Squall. As Irvine walked, he had this feeling of confidence that he had never felt before. It was probably as a result of the great sex. Selphie was also smiling as she walked. But she was also concerned about Trabia, since it was her home.

**Balamb Garden Infirmary**

Quistis was lying on a bed. The room was filled with balloons, flowers, and "Get Well Soon!" cards left by her fan club, the Trepies. Her right leg was already treated, and she had a bandage covering a large cut made by the shrapnel from the battle. However, for some reason, her right foot was aching. Then, Dr. Kadowaki walked in with a cup of water. She then said,

"Feeling better?" asked the doctor.

"Yeah, but my leg is still in pain,"

"Rest then. You will be able to get up within the next day or so. By the way, there is someone here to see you,"

"Who?" asked Quistis.

"One of your students, Nida. Shall I bring him in?"

"Sure, I have to thank him,"

Dr. Kadowaki then left the room. Within a few seconds, as Quistis drank the water, Nida walked in, carrying a single red rose. Quistis looked at him. He still retained the handsome and boyish look since Quistis took up her first class as an instructor.

"Hello Nida. How are you?"

"Hi Quistis. I'm fine. Are you okay?" asked Nida.

"Yes, I'll be fine, don't worry. I've been constantly been bugged by this fan club who really likes me. They kept asking me the same questions whether I'm safe or not, and showering me with all these flowers and cards,"

"What do you think of the Trepies?" asked Nida as he sat by Quistis' bedside with the rose in his hand.

"I've met all of the members and I think they are cool but not great enough to be like my closest friends,"

"How so?" asked Nida.

"The girls in the fan club flatter me too much while the guys are kind of awkward and weird. But don't say that to any Trepie that you know," said Quistis with a smile.

"Don't worry. Anyway, I have a flower as well. Where can you put it?" asked Nida.

"Oh, you can put it in that empty vase over there. That's very thoughtful of you as well. You're the only one that actually brought a beautiful flower. I didn't really like any of the flowers that those Trepies brought,"

"Are you just saying that to make me feel better?" asked Nida as he placed the rose in an empty vase filled with water.

"That's the truth, Nida, I'm being serious. Don't you think that some of those flowers are not as good looking compared to the rose you brought?" said Quistis with a smile.

"Heh, you're right," said Nida as he looked at the other flowers left behind by the Trepies.

"When are you going to be out of the infirmary?"

"Probably as early as tomorrow. Hey, Nida, can you come over here and have a seat? I need to say something to you," said Quistis.

"Sure," said Nida as he sat down by Quistis' bedside. He was very attentive, as Quistis began to speak.

"I want to thank you for what you did that day. What you did was very courageous of you. You saved my life, right when another shell was about to land on me. Without your help, I may not have survived to see another day. Thank you Nida, I owe you one," said Quistis with a smile as she grasped one of Nida's hands.

"Thank you Quistis," said Nida.

Quistis held Nida's hand for a while. She was really intrigued by her rescuer, even though she had him as a student.

"Tell me about yourself. I actually don't really know you. You're probably one of the most mysterious students I've had. All I know is that you're quiet, and a hard-working student, and that your weapon specialty is a two bladed staff,"

Nida smiled. He then began to explain his background, as Quistis listened on…

**Somewhere in the Hallways of Balamb Garden**

Zell got off the elevator, and walked down the stairs. There was a lot of commotion among the students in Balamb Garden. The biggest subject was the Dark Typhoon. Since the pirates have killed numerous students in probably one of the biggest battles that Balamb has ever faced, it is not surprising that the students who survived would be in fear. As Zell walked down the stairs, a large group of students ran up to him, asking numerous questions.

"Zell! You're friends with Squall! What is going to happen?"

"Will the Dark Typhoon ever attack us again?"

Zell just walked by, trying not to get distracted by the students. He just wanted to focus on getting Quistis and Nida. He just headed over to the infirmary, wondering how Quistis was turning out.

**Balamb Infirmary**

It was at least a couple of hours since Quistis and Nida started their conversation. Suddenly, Quistis felt a sharp pain on her injured leg. She felt it from her lower thigh and it reached all the way to the bottom of her right foot again. She moaned a little, trying to deal with it, but it seemed a little too much.

"What's wrong?" asked Nida.

"Nida, can you help me with something?" asked Quistis. She was trying not to smile, because she was starting to like Nida, even though he did not know.

"What is it?"

"Can you… this might sound strange, but it will help reduce the pain, can you… place your hands on the bottom of my right foot?"

"You want me to do what?!" said Nida in bewilderment.

"You heard me. Can you please do what I say?" said Quistis as she groaned a little.

"Okay, but now what?" said Nida as he placed his hands on the bottom of Quistis' foot. He seemed puzzled.

"You know," said Quistis. She then winked at Nida, but did not smile, trying to hide her affection.

Nida then began to motion his thumbs and fingers on the bottom of Quistis' right foot. He did so gently.

"Like this?" asked Nida as he continued this procedure.

"Yes… more," sighed Quistis as she began to feel a little relaxed.

Nida continued to motion his thumbs and fingers on Quistis' right foot, massaging her soles. Quistis then lowered her upper body onto the bed and relaxed. She closed her eyes and smiled, as she felt a great sense of euphoria and ecstasy flowing around her body as Nida continued the massage. Within three minutes, all of the pain that Quistis felt since she was wounded was gone. She did not even feel that she was even wounded in her right leg.

"Ahhhh… yes," sighed Quistis. Nida also closed his eyes as he continued to do his work.

Suddenly the door opened. Nida quickly let go of Quistis' right foot, and stood, while Quistis quickly opened her eyes, and looked to see who was coming in. Zell then walked in. He was surprised, and then quickly got angry.

"What the hell is going on?! What are you doing in here?!" yelled Zell as he grabbed Nida by the collar.

"Let him go Zell! I was just talking to him!" cried out Quistis.

Zell then let Nida go. Zell then said,

"Sorry about that. I was sent by Squall to get you and Quistis to the Headmaster's Office as soon as possible,"

"I can come, but I do not know whether Quistis can even walk," said Nida.

"I think I can, I feel all right," said Quistis as she got up.

Suddenly, Dr. Kadowaki walked in.

"What's going on here? I cannot let Quistis out of the infirmary until she is fully recovered," said the doctor to Zell.

"I was sent by Squall to collect her," said Zell.

"Still, she should remain here until she has fully recovered, Squall's orders or not. But let me check on her wound though, to verify,"

Dr. Kadowaki checked all of Quistis vital signs. She then looked at Quistis' right leg, and began to unwrap the bandages on her lower thigh to see if the wound was still there. However, by the time she finished unwrapping, the doctor was shocked to see that the wound was gone. Everything seemed to be fine.

"Well, it turns out that you are free to go. Are you able to walk?" said Dr. Kadowaki to Quistis.

Quistis then got up, stood, and said,

"Yes," Dr. Kadowaki then looked at Nida.

"What did you do to her?" she asked.

"Nothing, I'm being totally honest," replied Nida.

"You better be. Well, I have other patients to care for. Take care, good luck, and try not to get yourselves killed," said the doctor as she left the room.

"What does Squall want?" asked Quistis.

"He wanted you and Nida to come to the Headmaster's Office. He has developed a plan to finally take on the last remaining fleet of the Dark Typhoon," said Zell.

"Then we must go then," said Quistis.

Quistis quickly changed into her regular clothes and the three then headed for the Headmaster's Office to see Squall and the others.

**Headmaster's Office, 3F, Balamb Garden**

Squall, Rinoa, Zell, Quistis, Selphie, Irvine, Xu, and Nida were standing together in one room. It was already nine o'clock at night.

"Well, what to do next, Squall?" asked Irvine.

"Now that all of us are here, we are now going on one final mission to stop the Dark Typhoon once and for all. I was able to get some information from our prisoner, and we found out that the remaining fleet of the Dark Typhoon is heading for the Trabia coast. Their plan is to destroy and plunder the townships there. They also plan to destroy Trabia Garden," said Squall as he pointed at the map, showing where Trabia is.

"When will they attack?" asked Selphie.

"At dawn. The sun will rise at 5:10 AM. We have to arrive at 5:00 AM to stop the attack," said Squall.

"How are we going to take on an entire fleet when we have lost more than half of our forces?" asked Irvine.

"We're not going to use our forces. They deserve a break. It's just going to be eight of us representing Garden. I have already talked to Prime Minister Caraway of Galbadia and President Laguna of Esthar. Galbadia will send a small naval fleet and will openly engage the Dark Typhoon. Esthar will also send a small naval fleet as well, but it will arrive at 5:15, and at 5:20, their cavalry will arrive," continued Squall.

"What cavalry?" asked Nida.

"Psi Squadron of the Esthar Air Force. They are reputed to be one of the finest and most effective fighter squadrons in the world. They will launch continuous bomb attacks,"

"Then what are we going to do? It seems that the two militaries can handle it," asked Quistis.

"Remember, we are still dealing with the deadliest pirate organization in the world. They have taken command of a Galbadian V-Class battleship, the most deadliest battleship Galbadia has ever created. This means that it carries the finest anti-aircraft missiles available while it contains advanced stealth technology that the current Galbadian Navy or the Navy of Esthar cannot detect. Our mission depends on the safety of Trabia. We must attack the Dark Typhoon before it strikes, not while they are attacking! Now that we have our intelligence, we now know where the Dark Typhoon fleet will strike. We will arrive at that location where the fleet is located, and give out our position to the Galbadian and Esthar navies. We will use one of the Balamb Garden landing vessels to do so. We also have the same stealth technology as the V-Class battleship, but neither Galbadia nor Esthar has the technology to detect the stealth yet, unless we send a location signal. Once we send out the location signal, we will sneak aboard the V-Class battleship, and wait for the cavalry, while the Galbadian Navy will strike. We will then fight the pirates on board, and find out who the Fleet Admiral is," explained Squall.

"What happens if we don't succeed then?" asked Zell.

"We _must_ succeed. Or else Trabia falls, followed by the navies of Galbadia and Esthar," said Squall.

"Then when do we leave?" asked Rinoa.

"At 1:00 AM. We should arrive at the Dark Typhoon's believed location at precisely 5:00 AM. You have about three hours to prepare for the journey. Any more questions?" asked Squall.

No one said anything.

"All right then. You have at least three hours to prepare. That is all,"

"Let's kick some ass," said Zell as he pumped his fists.

The eight then began to prepare themselves for the departure.

**RGS _Wilburn_, somewhere off the coast of the Holy Glory Cape, Western Continent**

The RGS _Wilburn_ is a heavy cruiser armed with some of the most advanced weaponry of the Galbadian Navy. The heavy cruiser was named after a hill west of Deling City. It is slightly smaller than the state-of-the-art V-Class battleship, with slightly less armor and weaponry. It was heading south, to Dollet where it would dock after finishing another tour of duty. The weather was a little chilly and foggy. The captain of the ship stood at the bridge watching his crew navigate the ship through the darkness of night.

"How's the visibility?" asked the captain.

"Visibility is very hazy. We should be arriving at Dollet within the next few hours though," said one naval officer.

"Carry on," said the captain.

"Captain! I got something on radar!" said a radar technician.

The captain, followed by a couple officers went up to the technician operating by his radar panel.

"What is it, Ensign?" asked the captain.

"I don't know sir, but I'm detecting three considerably large ships accompanied by a greater behemoth coming in at port side from the north! They are two nautical miles away, and they are closing in at us!"

"Commander, alert the essential crewmembers. Stay vigilant," said the captain to his second-in-command.

"Aye-aye sir," said the commander, who was the executive officer of the ship.

The captain went up to the bridge windows with a pair of binoculars, slightly modified with night vision to get a visual of the incoming ships. He looked, and saw three ships two-thirds the size of the ship he was commanding, followed by a ship even larger. They were not simply cargo ships, but fully armed naval vessels. He lowered his binoculars, and saw the four ships come out of the fog. The fleet looked very intimidating, as he saw the ships filled with men wearing ragged clothing, armed with all sorts of weaponry. He saw the waving flags on the ships. The flag was black, with a white hurricane symbol and a skull in the center.

"My God," whispered the captain.

"Sir?" asked the commander.

"Captain! Unidentified vessels coming in at port side!" yelled an officer.

"Sound the general alarm! Arm the cannons and guided missile launchers! Take evasive action! If that fails, prepare for engagement!" ordered the captain.

The general alarm went off. There was chaos amongst the seamen as they began to get into their battle stations. The captain picked up a radio transmitter and began to send out a message.

"This is Captain Hill of the RGS _Wilburn_ to Admiralty. We have detected a fleet of four powerful ships coming in from the North at about midnight. We believe that these ships are from an unknown origin, possibly the deadly pirate organization known as the Dark Typhoon. Requesting for immediate assistance and support…."

However, it was too late. By the time the captain relayed his message, the unidentified vessels already made their move.


	7. Chapter 6: The Second Battle

**Galbadian Naval Command, 45 Minutes Later**

_RGS WILBURN HIJACKED. CREW OVERRUN BY UNKNOWN ASSAILANTS. ASSAILANTS BELIEVED TO BE PIRATES. POSSIBLY DARK TYPHOON. ALL OFFICERS K.I.A. ALL WEAPONRY SEIZED. NEED RESCUE FLEET ASAP. LAST ORDER BY SURVIVING C.O.: ABANDON SHIP..._

"Admiral! Incoming message!"

"Sir! We just lost contact with the _Wilburn_! Final coordinates are…"

There was commotion all over the command center once Galbadian Naval Command got the last distress message and earlier radio transmissions from the RGS _Wilburn._ There were also numerous messages being sent to other ships on the lookout for the Dark Typhoon.

"Get me the Minister of Defense, the Prime Minister or anyone!" ordered the Admiral, who was the Head of the Naval Admiralty of the Republic of Galbadia.

Galbadian Naval Command (also known as the Admiralty) is the center of all naval operations for the Republic of Galbadia. It is located at a highly secure compound Northwest of Deling City, but with close proximity to the largest naval port of Galbadia located on the Northern coast of the Western Continent. The Head of the Admiralty was able to get a hold of the Minister of Defense.

**Situation Room, Prime Minister's Residence, Deling City**

Prime Minister Caraway was continuously consulting with the members of his National Security Council, which consisted of the Deputy Prime Minister, the Minister of Defense, the Foreign Minister, and the Chairman of the Joint Military Committee, who is the highest ranking general in the Galbadian Armed Forces. The National Security Advisor to the Prime Minister walked in. She was carrying a note.

"What is it?" asked Prime Minister Caraway.

"They hijacked a heavy cruiser, the _Wilburn_ off the Holy Glory Cape. I just got the message a minute ago from the Admiralty," she said.

"My God. They're taking every powerful weapon that we have," groaned the Minister of Defense.

"Any survivors?" asked Prime Minister Caraway.

"Don't count on any. They refuse to negotiate," said the Foreign Minister.

"What capabilities does the _Wilburn_ have?"

"The _Wilburn_ is probably one of our best ships after the development of the two prototype V-Class battleships that was stolen by the pirates. It has pretty much the same equipment as the V-Class battleship. It's just slightly smaller, and the weaponry is watered down quite a bit compared to the V-Class battleship. That's the best explanation I can give," said the Chairman of the Joint Military Committee.

"Have we heard anything from Esthar?" asked Prime Minister Caraway.

"Our Ambassador just relayed this message a half hour ago. He says that Esthar's navy is currently at work at preparing a strong coastal defense, which their number one priority, since Esthar's territory is the only area untouched by the Dark Typhoon. President Laguna finally got approval from the Federal Assembly of Esthar, authorizing him the use of force to fight those pirates just two hours ago. They are currently preparing the 1st Expeditionary Fleet for battle. The Air Force is equipping their elite fighter wing, Psi Squadron for an air strike, but they cannot have their squadron fully equipped by 4:15 AM," said the Foreign Minister.

"And Balamb? Are they recovering well?" asked Prime Minister Caraway.

"Our Ambassador in Balamb has said that your daughter, along with Squall Leonhart, and his other six companions, is already prepared for a night expedition to the coasts of Trabia. They will depart soon. As for the town, work has been going nonstop as the people are rebuilding. The prisoner, Leopold Jones, from the attack has already been extradited to us. He is currently being taken to the D-District Prison," continued the Foreign Minister.

"Sir, what is the plan for engaging the Dark Typhoon?" asked the National Security Advisor.

The Prime Minister smiled. He then said,

"We'll stick to the original plan. However, send in another fleet of four ships to provide any support possible. Relay that order to the Admiralty," said Prime Minister Caraway.

"I'll send the order to Admiralty right away sir," said the Defense Minister as he relayed the orders to the Admiralty by the time he picked up the phone to Galbadian Naval Command.

"Sir, with all due respect, is this course of action wise? You're putting faith into sending only a small naval fleet stationed near Shumi Village, eight people from Balamb, including your daughter, plus putting faith into Esthar, who has not helped us a bit in tracking down the Dark Typhoon?!" asked the National Security Advisor in bewilderment.

"Well from this course of action, it will prove to us whether or not the treaty we made with Esthar is effective, since President Laguna now has authorization to use force. Not only that, we have support from Squall and his companions. Remember the Guardian Forces they used against the Dark Typhoon? If our forces take on the Dark Typhoon alone, along with the support of our Air Force, it will be a slaughter, since they now have our best military technology. If our forces, with the support of the advanced military technology of Esthar, along with the power of the Guardian Forces from the students of Balamb, take on the Dark Typhoon, we have a good shot at victory in ending the threat!" explained Prime Minister Caraway.

"You couldn't have said better," said the Chairman of Joint Military Committee.

"Well, I hope this does work, or else our government will fall, and the Opposition takes over and establishes a new one," said the National Security Advisor.

"Now all we need is some faith," said Prime Minister Caraway as he looked at the map of the world, particularly at the island of Balamb.

**Balamb Harbor, 1:00 AM**

Squall, followed by Rinoa, Zell, Quistis, Selphie, Irvine, Xu and Nida walked to the vessel waiting for them. They were carrying plenty of equipment, along with their weapons, ready for the upcoming battle against the remnants of the Dark Typhoon. There was still activity going about in Balamb, as people continued to rebuild the already devastated town. By the time everyone boarded the vessel, Squall issued his first orders.

"Nida, Selphie, you two drive. Irvine, Quistis, man the machine guns. Everyone else will stay in the hold while we discuss battle plans. Nida, Selphie, Irvine, Quistis, you four will be updated as we speak. We have no time to lose, so let's get going. Any questions?" said Squall.

"Where exactly are we going?" asked Nida.

"The Southwestern Trabian coast. Near Eldbeak Peninsula. I'll give the exact coordinates once you take the helm," said Squall.

"Squall! I just got a message from my dad! The Dark Typhoon has captured another ship! He said that we will send four more ships for support," said Rinoa as she showed Squall a text message on her phone.

"What kind of ship is it?" asked Squall.

"The _Wilburn_," said Rinoa sadly.

_Oh no,_ thought Squall. He remembered being with Rinoa and her father a few months ago, when Prime Minister Caraway christened the ship. He was given some information about it, and knew that it was almost as powerful as the V-Class battleship that they faced.

"What's so bad about that ship?" asked Irvine.

"It's almost as powerful as the one we faced. We're not facing just four destroyers and one battleship. It's now two battleships and four destroyers, all armed with the most advanced weaponry known to man," said Squall.

"It doesn't matter. We're going to still kick some pirate ass! And this time, it's going to be spectacular naval battle! OH YEAH!" said Zell as he pumped his fists.

"I don't know," said Quistis with concern.

"As long as we have our Guardian Forces ready, find the newly larger fleet, and send the location signal to our friends, we have a great chance at winning the battle. Now, to your stations! We're heading off!" said Squall as Nida and Selphie went to the bridge, Quistis and Irvine manned the machine guns, and the rest prepared for the journey. The vessel disembarked from Balamb and headed for the Trabian coast.

**RGS _Malgo_, Command Ship of the Galbadian Expeditionary Fleet, somewhere off the coast of Trabia, 3:15 AM**

The RGS _Malgo_ is a cruiser, slightly smaller than the RGS _Wilburn_. The ship was named after a peninsula in the Western Continent. It contained advanced weaponry, but not as advanced compared to a V-Class battleship or the RGS _Wilburn_. It was accompanied by four destroyers, also armed with advanced weaponry, but slightly smaller than the RGS _Malgo_. The fleet was heading north to explore more of the Northern Ocean and research on the environments that the Shumi people live in, until an order came in quite recently from the Admiralty to station near the Trabian coasts, and wait until further orders, but be vigilant for any pirates. The captain the ship was asleep, but his second-in-command, the commander, was on the lookout. He looked at the night sky. It was very clear, and it seemed like a beautiful sunrise would come in within two hours. Suddenly, the bridge received an incoming radio transmission from the Admiralty.

"This is the Admiralty to the commanding officer of the Galbadian Expeditionary Fleet. Do you read?"

The commander grabbed the radio.

"Loud and clear, over,"

"Is this Captain Murdoch?"

"No, Commander Phillips reporting, sir. The captain is sleeping,"

"Wake up the captain and the other essential officers. We have new orders for you,"

Within five minutes, the captain, the commander, and the essential officers were in the bridge, as soon as the commander relayed the message throughout the ship.

"This is Captain Murdoch to the Admiralty, what are your orders?"

"This is the Head of the Naval Admiralty. Your new orders are as follows. Station the fleet near Eldbeak Peninsula. There, you will wait for a location signal from a vessel originating from Balamb. Once you receive the signal from the vessel, order the fleet to head over to area where the vessel is relaying the signal. There, you will face five large hostile ships commanded by pirates. Once you catch sight of these ships, you are to engage these ships and destroy them with any means possible but do not destroy the vessel that relayed the signal. Do not underestimate these ships, as they carry the most advanced weaponry that Galbadia has ever produced, and this pirate organization you are facing is the Dark Typhoon. You will get support. Four other ships from the Galbadian Navy will provide support followed by a larger fleet of six ships from Esthar. A fighter squadron from Esthar will conduct continuous air strikes. A small group of capable young men and women from Balamb will summon Guardian Forces, powerful deities that will cast powerful magic to cripple the Dark Typhoon. This is a direct order coming in from the Prime Minister. The fate of Galbadia now rests in your hands,"

The captain was speechless when he heard the new orders. Some of the officers were in fear, after hearing about what happened to the _Wilburn_.

"Why would the Prime Minister do something like this? Is he trying to get us all killed?" asked one of the officers.

"No, he is doing the right thing. If we just fight the Dark Typhoon by ourselves, we will surely be killed. But remember, we have the support of Esthar now. And those young men and women from Balamb performed a valiant feat, defeating half of the Dark Typhoon, and preventing even further attacks. They will support us as well. The Prime Minister planned a major battle involving the three countries, and expects that every man who is going to face those pirates to do his duty for the safety of the oceans and the world. Now it's up to us now. We have to do our duty, and this time, it's our turn to attack those pirates. We must defeat the Dark Typhoon once and for all," said the captain.

"Then let's kick some ass," said one of the officers.

The officers then got themselves into position.

"What are the orders, captain?" asked the commander.

"Arm the guided missile launchers, prepare the cannons. Have everyone in battle stations. Head for Eldbeak Peninsula, and wait for the signal from our allies to strike at the location. Once we get the signal, we'll head over to the area, and attack the dreaded fleet. Set sail now! Remember we're fighting for Galbadia, for home and for the prize!" ordered the captain.

The Expeditionary Fleet was heading full steam to Eldbeak Peninsula, ready for battle.

**Esthar Air Base Southwest, Home of Psi Squadron, Esthar, 4:00 AM**

Eight pilots, wearing only their flight suits, arrived and sat down on two rows of four chairs inside an open-door hangar near the runway of the base. A large bulletin board was in front of the two rows, showing a map of the Eastern Continent and a perceived flight path from the base to somewhere by the Trabian coast. A few of the pilots were tired.

"I don't believe this! Why does the CO want us to get up this late at night?" said a pilot angrily.

"I don't want to do some fucking night drill!" groaned another pilot.

"I don't to do another knife-edge pass to entertain some annoying politician!" muttered a third.

An officer then walked into the hangar, followed by another officer of a higher ranking.

"Commanding Officer on deck!" called out the lower-ranking officer.

All of the eight pilots stood still, and saluted. The commanding officer was a colonel, and he walked and stood by the bulletin board.

"Stand easy men!" said the colonel.

The eight pilots lowered their arms and sat down. The colonel began to speak.

"All right Psi Squadron, listen up. I got this order directly from the President, so this is something you have to take seriously. As you all know for the past several months, pirate attacks have increased. The areas worst hit are Dollet, Fisherman's Horizon, and Balamb. Galbadia is having a tough time fighting these pirates as well,"

"So? What's that got to do with the security of Esthar?" asked one pilot. Pilots from the Esthar Air Force, especially from Psi Squadron, have a reputation of having a bad attitude, playing numerous pranks, and talking back, however, they can still be the most disciplined, effective and the finest pilots in the world, which can be hard to believe.

"Talk like that again, and I'm reporting you to the General. That could lead you to a court martial. This is serious this time," said the colonel sternly. He then continued.

"This pirate organization is known as the Dark Typhoon. They have plundered numerous coasts all over the world. The President believes that Esthar is their next target, and believes that the pirates must be destroyed before they attack. Your targets are a fleet of five ships that formerly belonged to the Galbadian Navy," the colonel then showed several pictures of photos from the Central Intelligence Service of Galbadia. These photos are of the Dark Typhoon's fleet and the damage they have done to the Galbadian Navy and Fisherman's Horizon. One of the pilots smiled and chuckled, thinking it was going to be an easy mission.

"What are you smiling about? This is not a target to be taken lightly. Two of these ships contain state-of-the-art anti-aircraft weaponry, some of the technology is very foreign to us, but I believe that we have the capability to counter this weaponry. All of the fighters have been equipped with enough weaponry to destroy the targets. However, this is not a simple air strike. The Fleet Admiral of the Dark Typhoon was one of the most highly decorated naval officers in the history of Galbadia and Dollet, with three Distinguished Service Medals, two Silver Stars, and the Naval Cross for Conspicuous Gallantry. Make no mistake gentlemen, this is going to be one of the most dangerous missions you are ever going to undertake. We are going against probably the most feared and seasoned naval tactician in the world, I shit you not. You are to fly from this base to the Trabian coast, near Eldbeak Peninsula, where you will find a fleet of five ships. There, you will launch any ordnance deemed fit to destroy the ships, while providing support for the 1st Esthar Expeditionary Fleet, and the Expeditionary Fleet of Galbadia. There is also a small team of soldiers from Balamb who will infiltrate one of the battleships. If you see green smoke from that ship, do not fire at it. That means that the Balamb team is infiltrating the ship. But your mission remains clear, destroy the pirate threat. Remember, THIS IS NOT A TRAINING EXERCISE. This is the real game here. There will be shooting and there will be casualties. You have your orders, and you have five minutes to suit up. Have I made myself clear?"

"YES SIR!" shouted the pilots.

"You have five minutes. Remember your training. Godspeed,"

The pilots then stood, and saluted the colonel. The pilots then began to prepare for the mission, as they grabbed the necessary flight gear, such as their helmets. Five minutes after the colonel briefed the pilots, an alarm horn went off. It was the signal to board the fighters. The eight pilots then ran for their fighters, and boarded.

**Central Office, Esthar Presidential Palace 4:15 AM**

President Laguna Loire was standing in his office, contemplating. Ward stood by his side. Kiros then walked in.

"Laguna, It's the Defense Department. They said that the Esthar 1st Expeditionary Fleet is fully armed and operational. They are now awaiting your orders. Psi Squadron is ready as well. Now it's up to you. Approve the naval campaign, and the air strike," said Kiros.

Ward then handed a red phone to Laguna. It was a direct line to Esthar Department of Defense.

_I can't believe this. For the first time, I am truly doing my duty as commander-in-chief, but I am making this decision not only as a President, but as a father as well, since Squall is there. I hope he will get through this_, thought Laguna as he picked up the phone.

"Naval engagement approved," said Laguna.

"And the air strike?"

"Air strike approved,"

He lowered the phone. Laguna hoped that the upcoming battle will end quickly, but it seemed that time had slowed down, as he waited. Within a few minutes, Laguna could hear the loud sound of eight fighters. He walked out to the balcony, and looked at the night sky. There were eight small, but bright lights, flying in a v-shaped formation toward the North, heading directly for Trabia.

**Ten Nautical Miles South of Eldbeak Peninsula, Trabia, 4:50 AM**

The vessel continued at full speed, toward the coordinates that Squall designated to Selphie and Nida. Squall, Rinoa, Xu, and Zell waited.

"How much longer?" asked Xu.

"Time to coordinates, one minute," said Nida.

Irvine quickly entered the cabin.

"Squall! We just saw five ships at our sight!"

Squall, followed by Rinoa, went up to the top deck of the vessel, where Quistis was manning the machine guns. Ahead of them, they could see five ships in front of them. Three of the ships were destroyers, fully armed, guarding two even larger ships. One of the two large ships was the V-Class battleship that they faced earlier at Balamb. Squall then took out his binoculars. He looked at the V-Class battleship to see what the name of that ship. It said _Vengeance._ Squall then looked at the second large ship that was slightly smaller than the _Vengeance_. It was the _Wilburn_, now under the full control of the pirates of the Dark Typhoon.

"Is it the Dark Typhoon?" asked Rinoa.

"Yes. The two command ships look exactly like the ones that they captured, and there are pirates on all of them," said Squall as he handed her the binoculars.

Rinoa looked. She was now in fear, since the fleet looked more intimidating that the fleet they faced back in Balamb. Squall then headed back down into the vessel and headed for the bridge, where he saw Nida and Selphie piloting the vessel.

"Squall, I see five ships at our sight," said Selphie.

"We are already at coordinates now. What next?" asked Nida.

"Send out the location signal to Galbadia and Esthar! Their fleets should be nearby by now!" ordered Squall.

Selphie then sent the signal through the radio to Esthar, while Nida sent the signal to Galbadia. Within a few seconds, both naval commands received the coordinates where the Dark Typhoon was located.

**RGS _Malgo_, Command Ship of the Galbadian Expeditionary Fleet, Fifteen Nautical Miles West of Eldbeak Peninsula, 4:53 AM**

"Sir! I just received a location signal from a vessel originating from Balamb!" said an officer.

"What are the coordinates?" asked the captain.

"Coordinates are here," said a technician as he drew a red dot on the main navigational map on the bridge.

"That's five nautical miles east!" said one officer.

"Well?" asked the commander.

"Set sail for those coordinates," said the captain.

"Aye-aye sir," said the commander. He then instructed the bridge crew to pilot the ship to the east, and called the other support ships to follow.

"We must provide support in any means possible for our allies. What is the status of the 1st Esthar Expeditionary Fleet?" asked the captain.

"They are located fifteen nautical miles southeast from the peninsula. Incoming radio transmission! It's the commanding officer of the 1st Esthar Expeditionary Fleet!" said another officer.

"Patch him through," said the captain.

"This is Rear Admiral Hunt, commanding officer of the 1st Esthar Expeditionary fleet. Do you read?"

"Loud and clear, this is Captain Murdoch, commanding officer of the Galbadian Expeditionary Fleet. What is it?" said the captain.

"We are letting you know that we are fully armed and ready. We have received the coordinates of the pirate fleet from a vessel originating from Balamb. It is five nautical miles northwest of us. We are currently heading to their location and will be arriving well before our projected arrival time of 5:15 AM,"

"That's exciting news. Very well, we will be not far from you. The Republic of Galbadia will be with you all the way,"

Within a few minutes, a sentry spotted a fleet of five ships ahead.

**V-Class Battleship _Vengeance_, Five Nautical Miles South of the Eldbeak Peninsula, 5:05 AM**

Fleet Admiral Gisborn stood at the bridge, facing the horizon of the peninsula. The bright sun was starting to peek through. The target in Trabia was a series of settlements scattered all over the peninsula. He could see numerous houses on the coast. They looked perfect for an invasion. No land defenses at all. He then issued his first orders to the captain standing next to him.

"Captain, raise the standard! Prepare for the invasion!"

The flags of the Dark Typhoon were hoisted up throughout the ships in the fleet. The Fleet Admiral then walked toward the windows. He saw the pirates preparing the cannons, the anti-aircraft weaponry, and the guided missile launchers. He also saw the two destroyers in front of the battleship. They were ready to commence the invasion. Suddenly, a beeping sound went off from the radars.

"Sir! I'm getting something on radar!" yelled a technician.

_What the hell? I was just about to start the invasion. Probably something small,_ thought the Fleet Admiral as he walked over to the technicians operating the radars.

"I'm getting a small unidentified vessel coming in from the south! Origin is Balamb!" yelled a technician.

"I also got something on radar! I'm getting a fleet of five small ships coming in from the west!" yelled another technician.

"I'm also getting a fleet of six somewhat large ships also coming in as well from the southeast! Origin is somewhere in the Eastern Continent, within Esthar territory," yelled a third.

"All of the vessels are closing in on us!" yelled a technician.

"What?" The Fleet Admiral was surprised. He then looked at the windows of the bridge. He looked at the left side first. He could see a fleet of five ships, slightly smaller than the _Wilburn,_ the heavy cruiser that his men just captured, were coming in at port side. He saw the flag waving from the command ship. It was the flag of the Republic of Galbadia. The Fleet Admiral then looked to his right. A fleet of six ships, almost the same size as the _Vengeance_, were coming in at starboard side. He saw the flag waving from the command ship. It was the national flag of Esthar. The Fleet Admiral angrily clenched his fists.

"Incoming radio transmission!" yelled an officer.

"Patch it through!" ordered the Fleet Admiral.

"Fleet Admiral Rufus Gisborn. This is Captain Murdoch, commanding officer of the Expeditionary Fleet of the Republic of Galbadia! You are under arrest for stealing weaponry from the state, stealing numerous cargo worth billions of Gil, invading and attacking numerous settlements all over the world which has cost hundreds in lives, and mutinying against the Admiralty! You have ten minutes to surrender or you will face prompt and utter destruction!"

The Fleet Admiral laughed after he heard the radio transmission.

"What a pathetic ultimatum. They don't even realize that we have taken all of Galbadia's best naval weaponry. Within five minutes, these pathetic fleets will all be combat ineffective, or should I say, destroyed?" chuckled the Fleet Admiral.

"Another incoming radio transmission! It's from the fleet coming in at starboard side!" yelled an officer.

"Patch it through, it's probably some bullshit statement," said the Fleet Admiral.

"Fleet Admiral Rufus Gisborn of the Dark Typhoon. This is Rear Admiral Hill, commanding officer of the 1st Esthar Expeditionary Fleet! I suggest you do what the Galbadian captain says! All of our guns are pointed at your fleet and you are surrounded. This is something you shouldn't take lightly! You have ten minutes to surrender, or all of us will open fire on your fleet, ensuring destruction! This is your final warning, out." The radio transmission ended.

"Admiral, all weapons are operational. Everyone is now in battle stations. What is your order?" asked the captain.

"Adjust the main cannons 90 degrees starboard side! Adjust the rear cannons 45 degrees port side! Make sure every guided missile launcher has targeted an enemy vessel!" ordered the Fleet Admiral.

Within ten seconds, all of the cannons and guided missile launchers on the battleship were aiming for the Galbadian fleet or the Esthar fleet. Every weapon was fully armed. The Fleet Admiral let out his breath. He was very confident that they can bring down the two fleets.

"FIRE!" yelled the Fleet Admiral.

**RGS _Malgo_, Five Minutes after Ultimatum**

"Attention! Do not fire until fired upon!" ordered the captain.

Everyone onboard the cruiser waited with bated breath. They knew that the Fleet Admiral of the Dark Typhoon would never negotiate or comply with the ultimatum. An attack by the pirates was imminent. All of the cannons and guided missile launchers were aiming for the pirate fleet. The captain picked up his binoculars and looked ahead. He could see all the pirates ready to fire the advanced weaponry on board the ships. By the time he lowered his binoculars, a loud shot was fired.

BOOM!

The Dark Typhoon had made their first move. The shot missed the leading two destroyers by meters.

"Commence firing!" ordered the captain.

"All ships fire at will! Fire at will!" ordered the commander as he relayed the message to the supporting ships and to the 1st Esthar Expeditionary Fleet.

BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!

The cannons from the Galbadian Expeditionary Fleet and the 1st Esthar Expeditionary Fleet fired repeatedly, and missiles were also being fired. Every bit of the fleet's firepower was unleashed. It was becoming an all-out naval battle.

**V-Class Battleship _Vengeance, _Stern Section**

There was chaos as pirates continue to keep reloading the cannons and the guided missile launchers. Suddenly, a small vessel parked by the stern section. The pirates looked to see what was it that hit the ship. They were greeted by a barrage of machine gun fire. Squall, followed by Rinoa, Zell, Selphie, Nida, and Xu boarded the ship by using ropes to climb aboard. Quistis and Irvine stayed to look after the vessel. Nida drew out his staff, and turned it. Two long blades came out from each side. Xu drew out her _Jiàn_, a light, double-edged, straight, long sword. She was the top swordswoman in Balamb Garden, who could use her body with amazing flexibility and was very fast with using her blade. Squall led the attack, as he drew out his gunblade, Lionheart, and killed the first four pirates.

"Remember, get to the bridge!" yelled Squall.

Squall then took out a flare, and set it, producing green smoke. He dropped it at an open area, to let the incoming fighter squadron not to attack that ship. The six began to fight their way through the deck, as Irvine and Quistis provided cover fire. It was going to be a long battle.

**Psi Squadron, 5:18 AM**

The fighters were now heading at full speed. They were now entering Trabia, and then turned northwestward, toward the Eldbeak Peninsula.

"TOT, two minutes. Tighten up the formation," said the lead pilot.

"…And he said, 'Oh that guy, he's just a coffee shop worker,'" joked one pilot.

"That's not funny anymore. I heard that joke numerous times," commented another pilot.

"Ok let's cut the chatter guys. Designated targets coming up," said another pilot.

"This is Psi One, targets acquired," said the lead pilot.

The fleet of the Dark Typhoon was now in plain sight. They were now arriving one minute before schedule.

"New TOT, 30 seconds. Arm weapons!" said the lead pilot.

"Master weapons armed," said the pilots.

"1st enemy vessel spotted, target is locked, Psi Two, this one is all yours," said the lead pilot.

"YEE-HAH!" yelled one pilot.

The fighters then dropped a series of torpedoes into the water. The torpedoes headed for the destroyers. The fighters then began to fire their missiles as well. The air strike began.

"Take evasive action if a missile heads for you!" said the lead pilot.

The fighters then flew over the fleet, and began to drop a series of bombs.

**V-Class Battleship _Vengeance_, Bridge Section**

The Fleet Admiral kept giving a variety of orders throughout the battle, as the fleet began to suffer major damage from the attacking fleets from Galbadia and Esthar. An alarm went off suddenly. There was chaos everywhere, as the pirates continued to do whatever it took to destroy the fleets attacking by reloading the cannons and missile launchers.

"We have intruders! They're from the small vessel that came from Balamb!" yelled an officer.

"Sir, I have just detected eight aircraft coming in!" yelled a radar technician.

"Sir, sixteen torpedoes are coming in from the east! They are of an unknown origin, most likely from the aircrafts coming in!" yelled another.

"Are the Reaper Missiles Armed?" asked the Fleet Admiral.

"Missiles armed sir," said a technician.

BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!

Right before the Fleet Admiral gave the order to fire, the battleship shook from the impact from the numerous explosions. The destroyers that were defending the battleship from the attacking fleets were getting hit by the torpedoes, nearly crippling them. Bombs were also hitting them as well, and they were hitting the ships quite hard, creating numerous explosions.

"Sir! We have lost radio contact with Destroyer One!" yelled a radio technician.

"FIRE!" yelled the Fleet Admiral.

The Reaper Missiles were launched, and began to chase after the fighters already bombarding the fleet of the Dark Typhoon.

**Psi Squadron**

"Missiles loose! Missiles loose!" yelled a pilot.

"Take evasive action!" yelled the lead pilot.

The fighters had already dropped their first two torpedoes, and a few bombs. They continued to fly over the fleets, trying to provide any type of support.

"I got one my tail! I can't shake it!" yelled one pilot. Two Reaper Missiles were chasing after his fighter. He tried to use flares, but they did little to stop the missiles, as they continued to make their way toward the fighter.

"Got the missiles on my sight. Locked." said another pilot. He then fired two smaller missiles. Instantly, they eliminated the Reaper Missiles.

"Good shot Psi Seven!" said a pilot.

The Reaper Missiles proved to be no match for Psi Squadron, as they easily eliminated any of them that were a threat to the fighters.

"Continue bombing all of the ships except for the _Vengeance_. It seems that we have some allies down there. Our naval allies can handle a couple of the destroyers. Concentrate fire on the _Wilburn_," said the lead pilot.

The fighters then dropped down, and dropped a series of torpedoes, accompanied by a barrage of missiles on the heavy cruiser that accompanied the V-Class battleship. Psi Squadron now had the air superiority.

**V-Class Battleship _Vengeance_, Stern Section**

Squall, followed by Rinoa, Zell, Selphie, Xu and Nida continued to kill numerous pirates. There were so many, that their numbers were in the thousands on the deck.

"There's too many! We can't fight them all off!" yelled Nida as he fought off seven pirates with his staff.

"I'm summoning a Guardian Force!" yelled Rinoa.

By the time Rinoa's weapon, the Shooting Star returned to her arm, she got herself ready to summon the Guardian Force.

"LEVIATHAN! DEFEND US! ATTACK!" yelled Rinoa.

Within a few seconds, a shiny comet flew over the fleet of the Dark Typhoon. It then transformed into a long, slender, and azure blue serpent-like creature. It was Leviathan. He flew in front of the pirate fleet, and made a shape that looked like the letter S. Leviathan then roared, and he shined a bright light. Then, he suddenly made his attack, Tsunami, by transforming himself into a giant wave of water. The giant wave struck the fleet of the Dark Typhoon, throwing the numerous pirates overboard, and its great power knocked away some of the cannons, the radio tower, and missile launchers, crippling a good part of the battleship's weapons systems. Back at the landing vessel, Irvine and Quistis fired the machine guns on the pirates trying to swim, to make sure that they were dead. As Rinoa, Zell, Selphie, Xu, and Nida continued to fight the remaining pirates, Squall decided to summon another Guardian Force to not only weaken the manpower of the pirates but to bring fear to the Dark Typhoon.

"DIABLOS! DEFEND US! ATTACK!" yelled Squall.

**V-Class Battleship _Vengeance_, Bridge Section**

"Sir! We have lost main cannons one and two! We have lost all radio contact, our radars are now disabled and all guided missile launchers have been destroyed! We are now operating under emergency power!"

A master alarm then went off. There was chaos all over the bridge, as the technicians scrambled to see what weaponry can still be used on the ship. Suddenly, the skies began to turn dark. A large swarm of bats flew in front of the battleship. The swarm then gather together, morphing into a giant, dark orb. Suddenly, a giant winged, red and black demon came out of the dark sphere. It snarled in anger, and stared at the Fleet Admiral. The Fleet Admiral was furious.

"Fire all weapons at that demon! I don't care how you do it, JUST DESTROY THAT DEMON!" yelled the Fleet Admiral.

The remaining weaponry on the battleship was now in position, but right before the cannons were about to fire, the demon raised his right hand, and reached into the giant liquid orb. With all his force, the demon threw the orb onto the fleet, crushing whatever stood on its way. It killed numerous pirates who were still on deck, while also destroying the cannons on the battleship. The demon's attack also caused massive devastation on the pirate ships nearby, as they were already burning from the damage from the orb. The giant demon then disappeared, by transforming into large swarm of bats, which then flew into the sky, as the sky turned normal. Everyone on the bridge was still standing, but the master alarm continued to go off.

"WARNING! REMAINING EMERGENCY POWER AT 25!" said a computerized voice.

"Sir! All weaponry systems have been destroyed!" yelled an officer.

This was not the news that the Fleet Admiral wanted to hear. He looked stoic when he heard the news. The Fleet Admiral then looked at the now cracked windows of the bridge. He saw numerous pirates running around. Some were trying to escape. The giant cannons on the battleship were on fire, and some began to collapse and fall on the deck, causing a small explosion. He looked at the horizon. The fleets from Galbadia and Esthar continued to open fire on the accompanying ships, particularly the _Wilburn_. One of the destroyers had a white flag waving, with its crew with their hands up. A Galbadian ship went side by side with that destroyer and an armed force of Galbadian soldiers then took control. That was one of the many signs that the Dark Typhoon was weakening significantly. Suddenly, the main doors to the bridge opened. The Fleet Admiral turned around. It was his worst nightmare. Squall, followed by Rinoa, Zell, Selphie, Xu, and Nida were at the entrance to the bridge. They were armed with their best weapons, and ready to kill everyone inside this room.

"Fleet Admiral Rufus Gisborn! Your fleet has been crippled! Within the next four hours, your fleet will be at the bottom of the sea unless you surrender! I suggest that you hand over your remaining ships and turn yourself in, and spare us any more trouble!" yelled Squall.

One of the officers picked up a pistol and was about to fire at the six, but Rinoa fired her Shooting Star, and it knocked the gun away from his hand. The Fleet Admiral then looked at the six. They were ready to fight. Nida waved his bladed staff, while Xu demonstrated her skill with her _Jiàn_. Selphie also demonstrated her nunchaku routine while Zell showed his martial arts. Squall showed his gunblade, Lionheart, as the blue blade shined with radiance. The Fleet Admiral was still not convinced that they were good warriors not to be underestimated.

"Squall Leonhart, why don't you be a good little boy and just die?" asked the Fleet Admiral.

"You first. You have killed numerous people not only all over the world, but also people who I cared for. This counterattack is for the people who died while defending Balamb and us! I'm not going to repeat my warning." yelled Squall.

"So be it then. We'll kill you all, and once we do, we'll retreat, and rebuild. You think you can really destroy the entire organization? Officers?

One of the officers then said,

"It's been a great honor serving under your command sir. We are still with you, and we are willing to follow. What is your order?"

"Kill them all," said the Fleet Admiral.

"You don't want to be doing this," said Xu.

"Don't you dare!" yelled Zell.

"Well, I guess you're going to regret this," said Squall as he held up his gunblade.

"Oh, I'm not going to. I hope to enjoy watching you six die! ATTACK!" yelled the Fleet Admiral.

The 25 officers and technicians dropped their guns and drew out various weapons, such as claymores, falchions, scimitars, katanas, battle axes, maces with chains, clubs, spears, tridents, and halberds.

"WAAAAGGGGHHHHH!!!!!" yelled the pirates as they began to attack. They also began to cast offensive spells, such as Bio, Blind, Silence, Stop, and Death.

"Is everyone's status defense junctioned?" asked Squall.

"Yes," said the five in unison.

"Then let's do it!" said Squall as they began to fight.

The spells that the pirates cast had no effect on the six at all, since they had every spell junctioned to their status defense.

"YEE-HAH!" yelled Zell, as he made the first attack. He performed a Mach Kick, knocking away the first two officers before they can even strike.

A pirate tried to swing his giant claymore on Selphie, but she blocked it with her nunchaku, and she swung it, knocking away four pirates that tried to kill her. Xu, with her quick prowess, began to slash at every pirate that tried to touch her. So far, no one was successful. She quickly jumped in front of one, slashing his throat with her _Jiàn_, causing blood to spew all over the bridge, and began to leap toward her next victim, like a ninja assassin. Rinoa kept firing her projectile, the Shooting Star, while Nida just killed five pirates with his staff. As for Squall, no one was also able to touch him, as he used his gunblade effectively, and started to kill one man every five seconds. Within ten minutes, all of the officers and technicians willing to defend the Fleet Admiral were killed. The puddles of blood in the bridge indicated that Squall was not the type of person to be messed with. Only the Fleet Admiral was left standing. He was very furious.

"Surrender. We've killed your lackeys. They have proven to be worthy opponents, worthy enough to be killed," said Squall.

"You think your skill with a gunblade can get you that far?!" said the Fleet Admiral angrily. He then drew out a gunblade. Squall looked at it. It was very familiar. It looked like one of Squall's earlier gunblades that he had owned, the Punishment, but the handle looked like it had magical modifications that made it more powerful than the Punishment manufactured in Junk Shops all over. The Fleet Admiral then continued.

"I, myself was a gunblade specialist. I have received training from the one of the best in Galbadia, and I have made my own gunblade. So far, no one has been able to match my skills. I challenge you to a duel," He then waved his gunblade and demonstrated his skill in handling it.

"Seems like you have some skill. I accept," said Squall.

"Are you sure you can handle this guy?" whispered Rinoa as she stood by him.

"Yeah," replied Squall as he readied his gunblade.

Everyone stood back as Squall walked up to the Fleet Admiral. The two gunblade-wielding men stood face to face, ready to duel. Zell looked through the windows of the bridge. He saw the Galbadian and Esthar fleets continue to pound the ships of the Dark Typhoon that continued to resist their firepower. It looked like a losing battle for the Dark Typhoon.

"Your men are losing. Two of your support ships have been sunk. The _Wilburn _can't hold out much longer. It's nearly devastated. This is your final chance in surrendering. Otherwise, you can keep fighting," said Squall.

The Fleet Admiral was furious. He then made his first strike by dealing a great blow toward Squall's head with his gunblade. However, Squall blocked it. Squall responded by doing a side swing, but the Fleet Admiral blocked it as well. The duel began. Xu had her _Jiàn _ready, in case Squall got wounded, and felt that she needed to intervene. The sound of clanging from the blades echoed throughout the room as Squall and the Fleet Admiral kept fighting. As Squall kept blocking the Fleet Admiral's blows, he was able to pick up the fighting style that the Fleet Admiral was using. It seemed that he was using a style that was similar to how Squall's previous rival, Seifer Almasy, used along with a fusion of Squall's knowledge of the Renzokuken. However, Squall was smarter, and knew how to counter every move that the Fleet Admiral was able to pull. The Fleet Admiral began to show signs of frustration. Squall used these signs to his advantage, and was able to wear the Fleet Admiral out. With great strength, Squall knocked the Fleet Admiral's gunblade away. The Fleet Admiral had no weapon on him. Squall had his blade pointed at the Fleet Admiral's throat.

"Well, I guess that shows that my skill with a gunblade can go far. You have proven to be a worthy opponent. Any last words?" asked Squall.

"Go to hell!" yelled the Fleet Admiral. He cast a fire spell, which briefly knocked Squall away. The Fleet Admiral then ran and grabbed his gunblade. He then lunged at Squall, but Squall was able to maneuver, and continued to fight. The clanging of the blades continued, and the fighting continued on and on for the next five minutes. It seemed like an eternity as Rinoa watched, with fear. Wounds were dealt, but they were only minor cuts. However, by the time Squall received another cut from the Fleet Admiral, he then launched an aggressive counterattack, by dealing several powerful blows. The Fleet Admiral's gunblade began to weaken, as he began to realize that it was not as powerful as Squall's Lionheart. After several blows, Squall made another swing, this time, breaking the Fleet Admiral's gunblade into two pieces. The Fleet Admiral was vulnerable. Without any hesitation, Squall jabbed his gunblade into the heart of the Fleet Admiral, piercing his body. Blood began to spew out of his body and mouth.

"All this for Balamb, Galbadia and Esthar?" gurgled the Fleet Admiral. He knew that he was going to die.

"No, for me," whispered Squall. He pulled the blade out of the Fleet Admiral's body.

"AAAAAAAAHHHHHHH!"

Blood continued to spurt out, until the Fleet Admiral fell to the floor, dead. It was finally over. The Dark Typhoon, the biggest pirate organization in the world, was finally defeated. Squall, followed by Rinoa, Zell, Selphie, Xu, and Nida quickly left the bridge, and headed for the landing vessel where Quistis and Irvine was waiting. Within a few minutes after the death of the Fleet Admiral, the cannons from the ships stopped firing.

**Galbadian Naval Command**

"Admiral! Incoming radio transmission from the _Malgo_!" yelled a radio technician.

"Patch it through," said the Admiral. Throughout the entire battle, the Head of the Admiralty was at the edge of his seat, at the same time, anxious.

"Sir, this is Captain Murdoch here. We have defeated the Dark Typhoon! The Fleet Admiral is dead, while all of their ships are either sunk or captured!"

The Admiral jumped up in joy, as everyone in the Admiralty cheered in happiness, knowing that they have defeated the deadliest pirate organization in the world.

**Prime Minister's Residence, Deling City**

Prime Minister Caraway was sitting in his office, watching the news, when his National Security Advisor walked in holding her mobile phone. She looked very excited.

"We have defeated the Dark Typhoon!" she said with joy.

The Prime Minister pumped his fist. He then asked,

"What about Rinoa and Squall? Any word from them?"

"Your daughter and Squall are all right. They are on their way back to Balamb as we speak,"

The Prime Minister then felt relieved, as he sat down on his chair and relaxed. He then began to make a phone call to Laguna.

**Central Office, Esthar Presidential Palace**

President Laguna Loire was also sitting by his desk, with Ward standing by, watching the news when Kiros walked in.

"Laguna, the Defense Department has reported that the Dark Typhoon has been defeated. All the fighters from Psi Squadron are on their way back," said Kiros.

"What about Squall? Any word from him and his friends?" asked Laguna.

"They are all right. They are on their way back to Balamb as we speak. Your son only suffered minor wounds," said Kiros.

Laguna sighed with relief that his son was all right. The phone rang. Laguna picked it up. It was Prime Minister Caraway.

"Ward, Kiros, leave me. I have a lot to talk with the Prime Minister," said Laguna.

The two close advisors to the President then left the room, happy that Esthar was able to successfully provide support to their ally.

**Balamb Harbor, several hours later**

The landing vessel arrived and docked at Balamb Harbor. There was a crowd of people waiting. When Squall, Rinoa, Zell, Quistis, Selphie, Irvine, Xu, and Nida came out of the vessel, the crowd, led by Headmaster Cid, Edea, and Ma Dincht applauded and cheered. They had received a much deserved hero's welcome. A victory party was thrown, as the entire population of Balamb celebrated the defeat of the Dark Typhoon. It lasted well into the night. As Zell, Quistis, Selphie, Irvine, Xu, and Nida took part in the festivities, Squall and Rinoa had other plans. The couple went to a place where they can talk, and have some quiet time. They went to a small cove that was about a kilometer away from the town. They sat by the rocky cliffs, looking at the sky.


	8. Chapter 7: A New Crime Wave

**Somewhere north of Balamb Harbor**

Squall and Rinoa were sitting by the rocky cliffs, looking at the sky and the ocean enjoying the beautiful view. Not many people knew about this place, and Squall showed Rinoa the cove only recently. Rinoa rested her head on Squall's shoulder. She then said quietly,

"I can't believe we were able to pull it off. We finally did it,"

Squall smiled, as she let Rinoa continue to rest her head. Squall then motioned his head, and placed his lips closer to Rinoa's. Rinoa also placed his lips closer to Squall's. Suddenly, a familiar voice cried out.

"Squall!"

Squall, a little bewildered after hearing the voice, looked behind him. Rinoa also looked. Headmaster Cid, followed by Edea, was standing behind them. They then walked toward Squall and Rinoa.

"Cid? I never thought you were coming," said Squall.

"I take it that you and Rinoa found the place that we also like to sit when we needed some time to ourselves. Don't tell anyone though, this is now a secret among the four of us," said Cid.

"Of course, what brings you here?" asked Squall.

"We were wondering where you two went after everyone disembarked. We wanted to thank you and Rinoa for your valiant efforts. You two have been our invaluable assets to us," said Cid.

"Oh," said Squall.

"By the way, one of our students came up to me. He was able to get a crew of other students to fix the Ragnarok. It's fully repaired, and now you can continue flying it," said Edea.

"That's great!" said Rinoa.

"I know," said Edea.

"What are you going to do now Squall?" asked Cid.

"Probably head back to Esthar, talk more with my father. Maybe visit Deling City, and see Prime Minister Caraway. I still want to spend more time with them," said Squall.

"Understandable," said Edea.

"Okay, we'll leave you two. We just wanted to be sure how you two were doing. You two have been very integral in defeating the Dark Typhoon, and we thank you for your efforts. Carry on," said Cid as he, followed by Edea left.

Squall and Rinoa continued to quietly look at the sea as the day became night. As the sun set, Rinoa motioned her head toward Squall's. She then placed her lips onto his, and continued kissing him throughout the night.

**Balamb Garden, two days later**

Squall and Rinoa walked out of the main entrance after a good night's sleep. There, they saw the Ragnarok, good as new.

"Well, what do you think of it?" said a voice. It sounded like Cid's.

Squall and Rinoa looked back. There, they saw Headmaster Cid again, and Edea.

"It looks good as new," said Squall. He then turned to Rinoa.

"Want to take a flight?"

"Sure," said Rinoa with a smile.

The couple walked into the Ragnarok, sat in the cockpit, and ignited the jet engines.

"Good as new," said Squall as he activated the thrusters, lifting the ship into the air.

"Where are we going?" asked Rinoa.

"Fisherman's Horizon. I want to see how Mayor Dobe and Flo turned out," said Squall.

"I hope they are okay. They have been a great help to us," said Rinoa.

The Ragnarok then took off from Balamb Garden, and headed south, for Fisherman's Horizon.

**Headmaster's Office, 3F, Balamb Garden, two days later**

It was another beautiful morning in Balamb. The skies were clear blue, with very few clouds, and the sun shining. Headmaster Cid was relaxing on a giant sofa, looking at the view, with Edea, lying down, with her arm wrapped around him.

"Ahhh… another beautiful day," said Cid.

"Yes," said Edea with a smile. She then looked at Cid and motioned her face toward his. They then kissed passionately. When Edea moved her lips away from Cid, she said,

"Oh, I don't want this moment to end," said Edea as she continued kissing Cid.

Cid was in a state of relaxation. Then he reached for the remote, and turned on the TV.

"I wonder what's on," said Cid. He then tuned to the Timber Broadcasting Corporation's premier news network, TBC News 24. It was a Special Report live from the City of Timber.

"Good morning, I'm Katie Callahan. We begin this very day with dreadful news. A series of shootings and attacks broke out at the South Side last night. The Timber Police Force has reported that thirty-four people died that night including twenty-three innocent bystanders along with thirty-five in critical condition. No specific suspects have been named but police say that these shootings have been a result of a series of gang wars that have been going on within the past three weeks. This is the ninth incident that has involved the deaths of innocent civilians but this incident is so far the bloodiest in terms of lives lost and injuries. The Timber Police has released a statement that they are using all of their power to stop the rising crime and violence spreading throughout the city, however, many citizens have been outraged at the alleged inefficiencies of the police. According to one undisclosed source, there has been a report of rampant corruption within the Timber Police Force, and this corruption has even reached the depths of the city legislature, which has probably contributed to the lack of response by law enforcement. This has brought to the families of the victims nothing but anger."

The TV showed images and video of dead bodies lying in the streets of the South Side of Timber, the poorest district of the City of Timber as police officers tried to push the cameras away. It also showed images and videos of large crowds of people, holding vigils calling for the end of rising crime in Timber. The anchorwoman continued.

"Not only have gang wars have been rising in the slums of the South Side, but the rising crime and violence have also hit the upscale Financial District and the East Side as well. A series of highly coordinated bank robberies have resulted in the theft of a total of 300 billion Gil from the "Big Three" Banks of Timber and the deaths of fifteen security guards. This have left Timber detectives baffled on how a group of criminals were able to infiltrate probably the most secure banks in the city. City officials are also mourning the loss of City Legislator Christopher Goodman, who was found gunned down by his residence in the East Side yesterday afternoon. No possible suspects have been named, but the murder is believed to have been a mob hit according to a statement released by the Goodman Family lawyer. Legislator Goodman had actively pushed for more measures taken to reduce the crime and violence in Timber and this is believed to have been the motive behind the murderers involved in the killing."

The TV then showed images and video of an empty bank vault, along with the dead security guards. Then they changed to show images and video showing detectives analyzing the crime scene where the City Legislator was killed, and police cars parked in front of a row of very upscale townhouses. The TV also showed video of a lawyer speaking, and then jumped to archive video of the late City Legislator passionately speaking in front of a group of people, and then ended with the national flag of Timber flying at half-mast. Then the video went back to the anchorwoman.

"As a result, who are we going to turn to in a time of rising violence and crime that has been taking this city by force? Unfortunately, the police are the only ones available. But can they be able to regroup, and enforce the law and justice that they are obligated to do under oath? Or will the city fall to its knees to the murderers, thieves and rapists that are now infecting it like a plague? Only time will tell, but we all agree that some sort of action must be taken whether it is from the Timber Police Force or City Hall. Some citizens have even called for the intervention of something greater like SeeD. Why SeeD? Take a look what happened at the coasts of Trabia two days ago when they had helped Galbadia and Esthar defeat the biggest pirate organization in the world, the Dark Typhoon…"

Cid and Edea were mostly in shock after hearing about this. They hoped that the rising crime rate would be handled effectively by the Timber Police Force. But they never thought that SeeD would even be considered by the people of Timber to intervene.

"We have to help the people of Timber. We cannot keep seeing innocent men, women, and children die as a result of the growing crime wave and the ineptitude of the law enforcement. We have to call Squall and Rinoa as soon as possible," said Edea.

"I understand that. But we have to get permission from the government of Timber," said Cid.

A phone rang. Cid then turned off the TV. There was a knock on the door.

"Come in," said Cid.

The doors opened and Xu walked in.

"A video call from Timber. It's from one of the City Legislators. His name is Watts," said Xu.

"I guess our permission has arrived. Patch it through," said Cid.

The TV then turned on again. It was Watts, formerly a member of the resistance group, the Timber Owls, the organization Rinoa formed during Galbadia's occupation of Timber. After Timber's independence, he was elected to be a City Legislator, and has been for the last six months. He was sitting in his office.

"Cid? This is Legislator Watts speaking on behalf of the City of Timber,"

"Yes Legislator Watts, what can I do for you?" asked Cid.

"As you know, our city has been hit hard by a massive crime wave for the past few months. This crime wave has claimed hundreds of innocent lives and the citizens have been calling for an end to this violence. Recently, I have found out that many of my fellow colleagues within the City Legislature have been taking bribes from powerful criminal organizations within Timber. Some have been forced to pay protection money as well. I believe my colleague, Legislator Goodman, was murdered due to his refusal to submit to the demands of these criminals. I am now the lone legislator uninfluenced by these criminals and I fear that my life may be in danger. I also found out that 25 percent, maybe even more than that, of the Timber Police Force has also been taking bribes. I am asking you, Headmaster Cid, to send your SeeD unit to Timber, to protect me and my interests, investigate and find out who killed my colleague, and help the remnants of the Timber Police Force stop these animals from taking control of Timber!" pleaded Watts.

"All right then. We will send some people to Timber as soon as possible. They will come sooner than you might think," said Cid.

"Thank you Cid! Your help will be greatly appreciated in return!" said Watts with joy.

The video transmission then ended. Cid then looked at Xu and Edea.

"Get me the following people here in the office for a briefing: Nida, Quistis, Zell, Selphie, and Irvine!" ordered Cid.

"What about Squall and Rinoa?" asked Edea.

"We'll have them come later, but let's first get these five, since they are still in Balamb! Now go! The life of City Legislator Watts is now in our hands!" ordered Cid.

Xu, along with Edea headed out to collect Nida, Quistis, Zell, Selphie and Irvine. They were scattered somewhere within Balamb Garden. Fortunately, they were easy to find, and within fifteen minutes, they were all there at the office. Cid then provided the briefing.

"Okay listen up. For the past several weeks the City of Timber has been hit hard by a massive crime wave. Murders, thefts, and rapes have risen at an alarming rate. Gang wars have resulted in the deaths of hundreds of innocent bystanders. The situation has gotten so bad that it has resulted in the Timber Police Force lacking the substantial manpower to provide the enforcement needed to maintain order due to rampant corruption while many members of the City Legislature have been bribed or forced into paying protection money by powerful criminal organizations. We have been asked by a City Legislator, Watts, Rinoa's friend from the Timber Owls, to help the remnants of the Timber Police Force to combat the crime wave, and protect him from any repercussions since he is the only City Legislator that continues to defy the criminal organizations that operate in Timber. Xu, Zell, Nida, Quistis, your mission is to provide any ways of support for the good officers of the Timber Police Force. As for Selphie and Irvine, protect Legislator Watts at all costs. Any questions?"

"Headmaster Cid, do you really think we can stop this crime threat? Even if we eliminate the criminal organizations in Timber, the violence and crime may continue. I read about the origins of the crime wave. They originated from the South Side, and if I'm not mistaken, it is the most impoverished area in Timber, and the people who live there have nothing to lose. How come the city has not made any effort to help the poorest of the poor?" asked Nida.

Cid then sighed. "I think it's because the poor believe that the criminal organizations can provide them better care compared to the welfare system Timber provides. As the criminal organizations become more profitable while the government is weak, it's obvious what the poor will choose to depend on when times are tough. However our main concern is the safety of the people of Timber, and we have been called to provide any assistance possible,"

"What about Squall and Rinoa? Will they be with us as well?" asked Irvine.

"Squall and Rinoa are at Fisherman's Horizon. They are currently providing assistance to Mayor Dobe and Flo, since much of the community has been devastated by the pirate attacks made. They're also going to get Esthar to provide assistance as well. But they will also come to Timber later. We don't know when," explained Edea.

"How are we going to get there? Squall and Rinoa took the Ragnarok," asked Zell.

"You're going to have to take the next train out of Balamb to Timber. We do not have much time, now go!" said Cid.

"Then let's kick some ass then! OH YEAH!" said Zell as he pumped his fist.

Xu, Nida, Quistis, Zell, Selphie and Irvine then left the headmaster's office and headed out of Balamb Garden. They boarded a car, and they were quickly taken to the train station in Balamb.

**Fisherman's Horizon, a few hours later**

Squall and Rinoa walked through the streets of the now wrecked settlement. Many buildings were either destroyed or ravaged by fires, as they saw the people continuing to salvage what they can find from the debris and began to rebuild the many houses destroyed by the wrath of the Dark Typhoon. They then walked down to the Mayor's office, where Mayor Dobe and Flo were living, and went inside. There, they saw Flo, treating Mayor Dobe's head wound from before, using a towel and fresh cold water. Mayor Dobe was sitting on his mat, as usual.

"OUCH! Careful there!" cried out Mayor Dobe.

"Darling, I need you to relax, so I can be able to heal this wound fast enough," said Flo.

"Well try to make it less painful!" cried out Mayor Dobe. He then saw Squall and Rinoa walk in.

"Ah! Squall! Rinoa! I never thought you two were coming! Have a seat!" said Mayor Dobe with enthusiasm.

Squall and Rinoa sat down on the mats provided by Mayor Dobe.

"So, what brings you here to FH?" asked the mayor.

"We came to see how things are going. Thank goodness you and Flo survived. We came here to provide whatever help you need," said Squall.

"Your help and support will be greatly appreciated by us and the people of FH. Ever since the Dark Typhoon raided this settlement, we wondered if we're going to get any help. Now that you're here, that's a start. It will give our citizens a lot of hope until Galbadia or Esthar also provides aid," said Mayor Dobe with a smile.

"There we go," said Flo with a smile. She wrapped Mayor Dobe's head with white bandage tape.

"What can we do?" asked Rinoa.

"Well, let's get started," said Mayor Dobe. He then took out a giant map and a series of blueprints of the infrastructure of Fisherman's Horizon. He then began to point out places that needed repairs. To Squall and Rinoa, this was going to be a somewhat daunting task.

**Timber**

The high-speed train from Balamb arrived in Timber within less than four hours. By the time the train came out from the tunnel, the party was in awe when they saw the City of Timber. After Timber was granted independence from Galbadia a year and a half ago, the city prospered and flourished into a major metropolis, rivaling Deling City, and became the second-largest city in the Western Continent. Even though Deling City and the City of Timber are considered large cities, they were still compact, and they were not as large compared to Esthar's capital, but if Deling City and the City of Timber combined, they would rival Esthar in terms of population, and the economy.

The group left the train, and split up, Zell, Xu, Nida and Quistis headed for the headquarters of the Timber Police Force, located deep within the Government District, the heart of the city. Irvine and Selphie headed for the East Side, the wealthiest area of the city, where City Legislator Watts was residing. The city had expanded so much that one of the most efficient methods to get to their destination was through public transport, called the Timber Underground also known as the Timber Tube.

Zell, followed by Xu, Nida and Quistis came out of the Timber Tube station and arrived at the Government District. The ornate and magnificent buildings towered above them, as they walked toward the headquarters of the Timber Police Force, a giant building that was seven stories high.

"I hope we can find some good cops," said Zell.

"We're going to have to see how the police commissioner would react to our presence," said Quistis.

The four walked in. As they walked in the police headquarters, they began to notice the depths of the corruption within the Timber Police Force. Nida saw a couple of police officers unlocking a pair of handcuffs from a suspect. The suspect gave the police officers two stacks of Gil, each stack seemed to be worth 5000 Gil. The police officers gladly accepted it, handed him a gun, as the suspect walked out. Nida whispered to Xu's ear.

"To see the law enforcement choosing money over duty to the city is not only unacceptable, but reprehensible,"

"We should not trust anyone here, not even the senior ranked police officers," whispered Xu back.

Quistis then walked up to the receptionist.

"How may I help you?"

"We are here to see the police commissioner,"

"Look, if you four want to complain about something, please fill out the proper complaint forms over there, turn it in and we'll get back to you within 48 hours. The police commissioner is very busy,"

"We're not here to complain about the police, we're here to talk to the police commissioner," said Quistis.

"Do you have an appointment?" asked the receptionist.

"No but…"

"Then I can't let you see him,"

"Listen here, we have an order from a City Legislator, to come here, and see the police commissioner and speak to him for a briefing," said Quistis as she showed the receptionist a document, with the signature of City Legislator Watts.

The receptionist snatched the document, and looked at it. A police captain walked over to the desk, and asked,

"What is the trouble here?"

"These four young people want to see the police commissioner under the order of City Legislator Watts," said the receptionist.

The police captain looked at the four young men and women. _They__look__like__a__bunch__of__kids.__What__business__do__they__have?_He then read the document from the receptionist. He then looked at the four again.

"So you're SeeD units sent from Balamb? You people look younger than I thought. I can't believe that the Dark Typhoon was defeated by a bunch of teenagers. Let's go see what the commissioner has to say, come on," said the police captain rudely.

As the four walked through the hallways of the police headquarters following the police captain, Zell whispered into Quistis' ear.

"Don't you think that the cops are a bunch of assholes?"

"Seriously, yeah. Look at how inept they are from my observations," whispered Quistis as she saw another criminal give a stack of 10,000 Gil to a police officer and walked away. She also saw another group of police officers just joking around while smoking a lot of cigarettes, and drinking a lot of beer. They took an elevator, and went up seven stories. After walking through many offices in ten minutes, they arrived at the commissioner's office, which was a very large and spacious room, with a desk made of mahogany wood, and a plump chair made from leather. There were large windows in the room, where there was a magnificent view of the city. The police commissioner was sitting on a large plump chair by his desk, looking at the city.

"Commissioner Payne, a group of teenagers wanted to see you. They're SeeD units from Balamb," said the police captain.

The police commissioner then turned his chair around and looked. There, he saw the police captain, with Quistis, Zell, Xu, and Nida standing behind him. The police commissioner then looked at the four SeeDs with slight suspicion, and then he said,

"Thank you Captain, leave us, I have a lot of explaining to do,"

"Yes sir," said the captain as he left the room.

The police commissioner then smiled and said,

"My name is Allen Payne; I am the Commissioner of the Timber Police Force, which makes me the highest authority above all divisions of the Timber Police Force and its jurisdictions. Who are you four?"

"My name is Quistis Trepe, I am here with Zell Dincht, Nida and Xu. We are SeeDs sent by Headmaster Cid to help stop the crime. I have some papers from Balamb Garden and the Timber City Legislature," said Quistis as she presented some papers.

The police commissioner picked up the documents, and looked at them. The papers had the signature of City Legislator Watts.

"I did get a message from City Legislator Watts, and a call from Headmaster Cid of Balamb Garden regarding the crime problem here. I have been trying to do what I can to make this police force efficient,"

"Making the police force efficient? The citizens here have been saying that it has been inefficient in combating the crime here! There are allegations from the media about the rampant corruption!" said Zell.

"Yes, you're right. The corruption has infected this force making it almost unable to stop the crime. Five cops within the Internal Affairs division have been murdered within the past two weeks, probably by our own officers, but it's been harder and harder to press charges against potential suspects. The Internal Affairs division is still here, but I feel it has been incapacitated, since those officers are living in fear and can to nothing but submit to the demands of the other cops. Every cop and detective that has been unaffected by the corruption is living quietly in fear. The only thing they can do is be silent. The same goes for me. I am very determined to end this crime wave more than any other person within the force. I hope that using SeeD, it will bring a lot of muscle to bring fear to the underworld, and knock a lot of sense into the police force. It's good that City Legislator Watts has the courage to stand up to face the problem rather than yield to it. Now that SeeD is here, it can bring some sign that crime in Timber does not pay," explained the police commissioner.

"Now that we are here, what should we do?" asked Xu.

"I want you to start by heading to the city's South Side, the area where the worst crime is occurring. It is the poorest area, and where the Timber underworld thrives from. It is this place where the criminal recruiting occurs. There are also brothels and nightclubs where drugs are sold. I want you four to lay down the law on the criminals that plague this area. When you see a crime occur, intervene. Kill them if you have to, but show them that you're not the type of person to be messed with. I will inform City Legislator Watts that all SeeDs will have the license to enforce the laws of Timber. Any questions?"

"Have you ever traced the crimes to something bigger?" asked Quistis.

"Our detectives believe that three organized crime families have thrived from this crime epidemic. We call them the Three Families or the three "M's", the Montagnas, the Mancinis and the Martellis. They are the most powerful crime families in Timber, and they live in the East Side district of Timber. They operate legitimate businesses at the Financial District as a front to cover their illegal activities and criminal works at the South Side. They recently signed a treaty, but it has been a shaky treaty, since there had been numerous skirmishes among the three. However, the first thing is to take on the lower criminals in the South Side, since that area is the most unsafe,"

"How strong are these criminals?" asked Xu.

"Not as strong as you might think. They are skilled in a variety of weapons ranging from guns to swords. Also they know only some basic magic like Fire, Blizzard, Cure, and Life. I think SeeDs know a lot more than just those skills," said the police commissioner.

"How long are we going to be in this district? Even though we clearly have the advantage over every single criminal and gangster, we can't take on a large army of criminals!" said Nida.

"I'm not asking you to stop every criminal in the South Side. The crime rate there has only been growing beyond epic proportions. No cop has made an effort to take on the crime there in months. I just want you send a strong message, through your effectiveness in combat as SeeDs, and bring fear to the criminals, so that they don't pursue a life of crime. It will also catch the three families by surprise. Once the South Side is enforceable, I'll talk to you guys later more about the Three Families. Clear?" asked the police commissioner.

"Yes," said the four.

"All right then. Now go take on those criminals!" said the police commissioner.

The four SeeDs then left the office, and headed down the elevator for the entrance of the Timber Police Headquarters. They walked through the bustling Government District and headed down into the Timber Tube station, where they will wait for the train to take them to the South Side area of Timber.

**South Side, Timber, Twenty Minutes Later**

Quistis, Zell, Xu and Nida sat in the train as it headed through the tunnels of the Timber Underground. When the train arrived at the station, the four got out, and walked. The station was deserted, not well-lit, and derelict. The Timber Tube stations within the South Side were a stark contrast compared to the stations within the Government or Financial District of Timber.

"This place looks dangerous, and we just arrived at one of the stations," said Xu in fear.

"Stay vigilant," said Quistis.

The four then walked up the stairs, and got out of the station. They were now in the center of the South Side of Timber. The streets were filled with trash on the ground, the buildings all looked old and abandoned, except for several that served as pawn shops, restaurants, convenience stores, nightclubs, and brothels. Those buildings were covered with neon lights. There were cars, but there were not much that went by. Many of the cars on the sidewalks were abandoned, and some poor people were living in them. It really was the poorest area in the city.

"Whoa, out of all the places I've traveled, this is definitely the poorest place I have ever traveled to, and life does not seem to get any better living here," said Nida in awe.

The four heard sounds of gunshots, and echoes of screams from one area. They then ran over to the area where the sound came from. There, at an intersection, they saw a crowd of people, standing around two dead bodies, riddled with gunshot wounds. Blood was flowing on the streets, an older woman was crouching by one dead body, crying out in grief. A younger woman was crouching by another dead body, also crying out in grief. The sound of an ambulance siren echoed throughout the streets. Quistis and Xu gasped in fear after seeing the bodies. Nida looked around as Zell walked up to one person who was watching, and asked,

"What happened here?"

"A gang of five men went up to those two men, shot them several times with their guns, and took every valuable possession in their pockets. One of the men owns a pawn shop, the younger man is his son. They were probably killed because they did not give the money that their customers demanded. Just another senseless killing and it does not seem to stop," said a man.

"Who do you think is behind this?" asked Zell.

"Who knows? Life goes on, all I can say, trust no one, and if you are ever being threatened give them what they want, or else you get killed. Simple as that. The police may help, but all they want is money rather than solve other people's problems," said the man.

_This__crime__and__violence__must__end_, thought Zell after talking with the witness. He walked up to Quistis, Xu and Nida and said boldly,

"We're going help these people, and bring those criminals down! I don't know about you guys, but I'm going to dive in and take on any thugs that threaten the safety of the people here! Come on!"

Zell then ran down a side street leaving Quistis, Xu and Nida behind.

"Zell! Wait up! What are you doing? Come on, let's follow him!" yelled Quistis.

The three then ran after Zell, but Zell was already far ahead. Zell arrived at one intersection, where he was stopped by a group of five young men. They looked like teenagers.

"Whoa, whoa, where do you think you're going punk?" asked one of the youth.

"Just going around for a run, now let me go," said Zell with a smile.

"Not without giving us your money, and whatever you have in your bank account," said another one of the youth, as he drew out a gun, and pointed it at his face.

Zell, with quick action, quickly grabbed the thug's arm holding the gun, and twisted it, breaking a bone. The first thug cried out in pain, but Zell silenced him by punching him in face, knocking him out.

"GET HIM!" yelled one of the thugs.

One thug drew out a pair of knives, but Zell was able to knock them away, and did a series of kicks, knocking the second thug away. Another thug struck Zell from behind, by quickly wrapping around Zell's neck a razor wire. Zell quickly grabbed the razor wire with his gloved hands, and pulled it away from his neck. Gripping the razor wire tightly, Zell threw the thug that was trying to choke him from behind over his head, causing the thug to land on his back. The thug quickly got back up, but Zell pulled off a series of punches and kicks, knocking the third thug away. The fourth thug drew out a sword, while the fifth drew out a sledgehammer.

"You know, you guys should not be playing with toys like these," said Zell with a cocky tone.

The fourth thug swung his sword toward Zell's neck, but Zell ducked, and did a low kick, knocking down the fourth thug. The fifth thug tried to strike Zell from low with his sledgehammer, but Zell jumped, and kicked the head of the fifth thug. Zell then pulled another kick in the air, kicking away the sledgehammer, and did another series of kicks and punches, knocking out the fifth thug. The fourth thug then got up, and began to swing his sword violently toward Zell. Zell quickly dodged the blows, and performed a strong jump kick on the fourth thug's arms, kicking the sword in the air. Zell grabbed the sword flying in the air, and stabbed the fourth thug in the chest, killing him instantly. Zell then pulled the sword out of the body, and dropped it on the ground.

"Don't fuck with Zell Dincht!" said Zell proudly.

By the time Quistis, Xu and Nida arrived at the scene, they then realized that Zell took on five thugs by himself.

"What the hell are you trying to do Zell? Get yourself killed?" yelled Nida.

"No, I'm doing my part, since we're supposed to be taking on the scum that plagues this city that we had freed from Galbadia a year and a half ago!" said Zell.

"Well next time, do it with some sort of support," said Quistis.

A group of civilians came out of the surrounding buildings to see what happened after hearing all this commotion. They looked at the bodies of the five thugs. One woman said to Zell,

"You took on these thieves and murderers? Bless you!"

"Who are you people?" asked a man.

"All I can say is that we have been sent by the City Legislature to help the city," said Quistis to the civilians.

"Thank you! Thank you! You do not know what your service means to us. That gang of five you took on is one of the numerous problems we've been facing in this neighborhood. They have killed at least ten people, and robbed my friend's store. Now there is hope," said a woman.

"Don't count on us surviving though," said Nida to the woman.

After talking with the civilians, the four continued walking down the streets of the South Side of Timber to get some idea of the area. Everywhere they went, the neighborhoods just looked poorer and poorer. As the four walked, Quistis heard a young woman's scream from an alley.

"What is that?" asked Xu.

"Don't know, it's from that alley over there," said Quistis as she pointed to an alley. The screaming continued.

"Let's see where it's coming from," said Zell as he ran into the alley.

"Here we go again," said Quistis as the three followed.

Zell ran down the alley. At the end of the alley, he saw a group of six men, trying to hold down a young woman and began to strip her clothing. They were about to rape her.

"HELP! SOMEBODY HELP!" screamed the woman.

"Cover the mouth of that bitch!" said one thug.

"It will all be over soon sweetie," said another thug. The others then laughed.

"LET THE GIRL GO!" yelled Zell.

"Who the fuck are you?" said the one thug.

"Your worst nightmare," said Nida as he arrived.

"Now let the girl go," said Xu as she stood next to Nida.

"Or else we'll deal some damage, and bring you so much pain that you're going to regret being a gangster," said Quistis as she stood next to Xu.

"Not a fucking chance!" said a thug as he held the young woman hostage by putting a knife by her throat. The other five thugs drew out a variety of weapons, such as guns and swords.

"You four make a move on us, she dies. Now get the fuck out you two pansies and cunts," said another thug.

"Okay, but you asked for it," said Quistis.

Suddenly, a blade quickly struck on the head of the thug holding the young woman hostage. It made a deep cut on the cranium of the thug, and killed him instantly, freeing the woman. The young woman quickly ran behind the four for safety. The blade came from Quistis' whip, Save the Queen, and Xu drew out her _Jiàn_(her sword), as Nida drew out his two-bladed staff, while Zell got into his martial arts stance.

"GET THOSE FUCKING PUNKS!" yelled a thug.

"Show me what you got!" yelled Zell.

With lightning speed, Xu struck first, she swung her _Jiàn_ with great precision and speed, stabbing and killing two thugs. Nida made his strike, knocking one thug in the air, and impaling him at the chest, killing him. One of the two remaining thugs made a loud whistle. Suddenly, a group of ten more thugs came, this armed with a variety of bludgeoning weapons and swords.

"LET'S GET THEM!" yelled another thug.

The four were not intimated by the larger number, as they were able to handle them without too much difficulty. Zell was surrounded by five thugs. He then quickly dodged the blows of those thugs, and with speed, he performed a series of blocks, kicks, and punches against every thug that tried to touch him.

"Is that all you got?" yelled Zell as he continued to take on each and every thug that tried to kill him. So far, all they have been swinging at was air, while Zell delivered a series of blows from his punches and kicks. Within five minutes, Zell was able to defeat all the five thugs that tried to kill him.

Quistis kept swinging her whip, knocking down at most three thugs. She killed two more thugs using the sharp blade on the end of her whip. No thug was able to deal any damage on any one of the four. Xu quickly killed two more thugs, using her fast assassin skills with her _Jiàn_, while Nida dealt the final blow by killing the last surviving thug.

"Rape does not pay," Zell said to one body as he kicked it.

The young woman, who was watching all this occur, asked,

"You saved my life. Who are you people?"

"We have been sent by the City Legislature to help the city. Are you all right? Are you going to be okay?" asked Quistis.

"Yeah, I should be," said the young woman.

Suddenly, the four heard the echoes of police sirens. Within a few seconds, three police cars arrived, as six police officers began to secure the area.

"What the hell?" yelled one officer . "It looks like another gang war happened here. You four, what the hell did you just do? And why is that woman here almost stripped?"

"Officer, those thugs you see lying on the ground tried to rape that woman here. She can confirm it. If it was not for us, she would have been brutally raped and killed. We came here to help, under the order of Police Commissioner Payne and City Legislator Watts," explained Quistis as she showed the police officer her papers.

As one police officer began to collect the young woman's testimony, the rest of the officers began to look at the bodies, and arrested the remaining thugs who were still conscious.

"What are you guys trying to do then, take our job away from us?" yelled another police officer after examining the papers.

"We're just here to provide support. Maybe if you so-called 'men' really did your job, maybe we would not be here in the first place," said Nida.

"How dare you insult an officer of the Timber Police Force! If it was not for your blond friend, and that young woman's testimony, we could have taken arrested you kids! You people are lucky that we did not arrest you four! You should thank your blonde friend, and that young woman over there!" yelled another police officer.

Nida shrugged the officer's comment, and went up to Quistis.

"These officers really are corrupt!" whispered Nida.

"Yeah, we are not going to trust anyone except for ourselves. Not even the police," said Quistis.

The four stayed with the police officers to give them their testimonies. After they were let by the police, the four walked out of the alley and down the streets. Zell looked at the sky. The sun was setting.

"Now this is the time where the criminals thrive the most, the night. Let's go kick some more ass!" said Zell with confidence.

The four then heard an echo of gunshots from one corner. They then headed over to find out what was going on. They were ready to take on any crime that occurred in this neighborhood.

_It__seems__like__we__'__re__going__to__be__heroes__in__this__neighborhood,_ thought Quistis.

**East Side, Timber, a few hours before**

Twenty minutes after Irvine and Selphie arrived at Timber, they arrived at the East Side area through the Timber Underground. When Irvine and Selphie got off the train, they were in awe of the station. It was covered with an ornate style of art. The lights look like chandeliers, each column had a painting on it, while being lavishly decorated with a baroque-style art. The station was also bustling with people, many well dressed, indicated the wealth of the people who lived in this area, since the East Side was one of the richest areas of the city. They then walked up the stairs and came out of the stations. They were in awe of the beauty of this area in Timber. The architecture of the buildings were heavily influenced by either Gothic or Haussmann styles. The avenues were lined with trees, while there was a nice and elegant park every five blocks.

"Wow I am amazed by this city! This city has gotten more and more elegant, almost as beautiful as Deling City!" said Selphie in awe.

Irvine and Selphie then continued to walk down the streets until they arrived at the residential area of the East Side. The neighborhood was almost as beautiful as the central area of the East Side. All the houses were large, almost as big as mansions, with luxury cars parked on the driveways. Every house was surrounded by a black iron fence with a gate. The architecture of the houses were heavily influenced by Gothic or Neoclassical styles. Irvine and Selphie arrived at City Legistlator Watts' residence. It was a large, imposing mansion with Neoclassical architecture and has a small marble fountain on the front with elegant statues.

"That really is a nice pad he's got," said Irvine.

Selphie then rang the doorbell that was right next to gate. It made a nice "ding-dong!" sound.

"May I help you? Who is it?" said a voice from the speaker next to the doorbell.

"This is Irvine Kinneas along with Selphie Tilmitt. We're the SeeDs asked by City Legislator Watts to protect him," said Irvine.

"Okay, go right in," said the voice.

The gate opened, and the two walked in. They walked on the driveway, and to the front door. The front door opened, and a man wearing a wearing a suit came out.

"Ah, welcome to the home of City Legislator Watts. I am his special assistant and aide. Please come in,"

Irvine and Selphie walked into the house. The lobby consisted of an elegant marble foyer with columns. The artwork of the interior was also Neoclassical. The aide then escorted Irvine and Selphie up the stairs, and into an elegant office, where City Legislator Watts was working.

"Sir, you two new SeeD bodyguards," said the aide.

"Thank you Philip, I was hoping when these two will show up! Leave us," said Watts.

"As you wish,"

The aide then left the room and closed the door. Irvine and Selphie were standing, facing the desk of City Legislator Watts, who was sitting down and working a little bit. He then got up, said hello, and shook Irvine's and Selphie's hands. He then continued,

"Once again, thank you for accepting this mission. I am truly grateful now that I have two SeeDs on my side. If it was not for SeeD, my life will truly be in danger,"

"How long are we supposed to be your 'bodyguards'?" asked Irvine.

"Until the crime level recedes significantly, and until corruption within the police and the government is eliminated. Don't worry, I believe that through the intervention of SeeD, the crime rate will fall very quickly in Timber,"

Irvine groaned, and said,

"You know, just relying on a elite mercenary unit does not mean that the problem will go away. Other measures have to be taken as well, and what makes you so confident that a group of eight of us can save an entire city?"

"That's true, but you eight did save a small island nation, and helped save Trabia from the Dark Typhoon. If you eight can do heroic feats like this, then you can truly save a great city like Timber," said Watts.

"We can stop any criminal, surely, since they are not as strong as the powerful monsters we've battled, but how are we going to eliminate the corruption then?" asked Selphie.

"Not only you are going to stop the petty thugs that infest the city, but the organized crime led by the Three Families that has been corrupting our police and our government. I believe the crime in this city is traced from something even greater, and I believe that organized crime was a suspect in the death of my colleague, City Legislator Goodman. Defeat the organized crime families, and the corruption will be eliminated,"

"So, we're here, and we've been sent to protect you, now what?" asked Irvine.

"I have been invited to a gala tonight at the Financial District by a business that I used to work with. I want you to protect me from any assassination attempt. I am a marked man by the Three Families since I have not been bribed or forced to pay anything to them. The Financial District can be a dangerous place since the Three Families operate legitimate businesses there, but then again, the East Side is where they live, but they live at the southern area of the East Side. If you repel any attacks, that will give the Three Families something to think about," said Watts.

"Okay, then we'll protect you!" said Selphie with enthusiasm.

"Since you two are also going to the gala, you have to dress up in something nice. There are some upscale stores nearby. But be quick, you two only have two hours. Can you two get going?"

"Yeah! THIS IS AWESOME! We're going shopping!" said Selphie with happiness.

Irvine groaned a little but went along. They were getting paid for it anyway.

**Two Hours Later**

Irvine and Selphie returned to City Legislator Watts' house wearing nice clothes. Irvine wore a nice black suit, a dark blue buttoned shirt with a dark tie to go along with it, while Selphie wore an elegant dark blue silk dress, with great smelling fragrance. Since it was a little chilly out, Irvine got an overcoat, so he can conceal his rifle, and brandish it out, in case there was any trouble.

"Irvine, you are looking so, handsome and manly," commented Selphie with a giggle.

"Selphie, all I can say is that you're looking very, very hot tonight,"

The two then went to see City Legislator Watts to show that they are ready. Watts smiled, and said,

"Okay, my vehicle is here. Irvine, take the front passenger seat, Selphie, sit in the back,"

Irvine was a little uncomfortable with this arrangement, but in the end, he was fine with it. The three left the house, and there, a large black luxury sedan was waiting with a driver inside. The driver was the aide that greeted Selphie and Irvine earlier. When they got into the vehicle, the seats were very comfortable and spacious.

"Take us to the gala venue Philip," ordered Watts.

"As you wish," said the aide.

The car drove down the streets of the East Side, and through the expressways, taking them to the Financial District of Timber. The Financial District was an area filled with numerous high-rise buildings and skyscrapers, and always congested with traffic, even though many of the city's residents use public transportation to get around. Irvine looked at the window, observing what people were doing. Selphie did the same. Everyone in the vehicle was quiet and the only sound was classical music coming out of the stereo. The car then turned left, onto a major avenue, and drove by a park. A taxicab followed the car. The vehicle was 800 meters from the gala venue, which was located at a tall 60-story building. At an intersection, the car stopped, since the traffic light was red. Then, the light turned green, but the car in front, another taxicab, did not move. The aide pressed on the horn on the steering wheel, but the taxicab in front did not move.

"COME ON MOVE!" yelled the aide

HONK! HONK!

Irvine, who was a little off guard, was wondering why the taxicab in front did not move. He looked at the back of the car, and saw another taxicab in the back, following the car. Irvine quickly looked forward, and saw that the people inside the taxi in front were opening the doors and coming out. He looked to his right, and saw a café nearby. He saw at least three men coming out, wearing sunglasses and overcoats. They did not seem to be carrying something at first, but Irvine knew that they were each concealing some type of firearm. The men coming out of the taxi were carrying some sort of automatic weapons. A group of men also got out of the taxi from behind.

"SELPHIE! WATTS! GET DOWN! IT'S AN AMBUSH!" yelled Irvine as he quickly drew out his rifle, Exeter, and quickly loaded it with shotgun ammo.

It was too late, the men from the taxi in front began to open fire with their submachine guns and automatic rifles. They fired at the window shield, and killed the driver. Selphie and Watts ducked down in fear. Irvine quickly pointed his rifle at the window shield, and blasted away, blowing away the window shield, and sending pieces of glass flying toward the hitmen.

BOOM!

The men from the taxi in front flew back a couple of feet, due to the instant explosion of glass from the car's window shield. Irvine quickly got out of the car, and looked to his right, he saw a gang of hitmen approaching the besieged vehicle. They all stationed themselves behind a few parked cars, drew out automatic weapons and began to fire at Irvine. Irvine, with quick speed, dropped down, reloaded his rifle with a magazine of normal ammo, and began to fire at the gang of hitmen, picking off each man with a deadly shot with accuracy and precision. Every hitman on the right was killed within one minute. Irvine quickly got up and reloaded, but a hitman stood behind him, with a gun pointed to his head.

"Drop the gun cowboy," said the hitman.

"No," replied Irvine, as he quickly did a back kick, knocking the hitman away, turned around and blasted his rifle on the hitman's chest, instantly killing him. He then loaded his rifle with a lot of fast ammo, and began spraying bullets at the hitmen that were in the taxi at the rear. Within another minute, he killed them all. Irvine then turned around, and saw that the group of hitmen from the taxi in front were not dead yet. The hitmen began to fire their weapons, but Irvine got back at them, and sprayed even more bullets with his fast ammo, instantly killing all of them. Suddenly, Irvine heard more gunshots, this time it was coming from the left. He saw an approaching car, and two hitmen sticking their guns out from the rear windows of the car. They were going to attempt a drive-by shooting. Irvine quickly ducked, reloaded his rifle with demolition ammo, got up and fired at the car.

BOOM!

The car exploded into flames, and crashed into a nearby tree on the sidewalk, killing all the hitmen inside. Irvine looked around. There were no more hitmen left. He could see many cars with windows shattered and the exterior riddled with bullets. The sound of police sirens echoed throughout. Irvine then walked to City Legislator Watts' car, and opened the back door. There, he could see Selphie and City Legislator Watts crouched on the floor, unharmed.

"Is everyone okay?" asked Irvine.

"I'm okay!" said Selphie.

"Yeah, I'm all right," said Watts.

Watts' car, particularly the hood, engine, were damaged from the attack. Four police cars arrived at the scene. All the police officers got out, drew their weapons, and pointed them at Irvine.

"POLICE! DROP THE GUN!" yelled a cop.

"I'm with City Legislator Watts! I am his bodyguard! Okay, okay I'm lowering my weapon but I am with City Legislator Watts," yelled Irvine as he lowered his rifle. The police officers approached Irvine and got ready to arrest him by drawing out their handcuffs and cuffing him.

"Let me handle this," said Watts, as he came out of the car and began to walk toward the police officers.

"City Legislator Watts! Are you okay? You nearly got killed here!" said a police officer.

"Those criminals have tried to kill me. This man here, he's with me, and I hired him as a bodyguard. He was the one who warded off those hitmen. Now let him go," said Watts to the cops as he pointed to Irvine.

"Of course, sorry about that," said a police officer as he freed Irvine from the handcuffs.

"How in the hell were you able to stop an army of nearly twenty hitmen?" asked another cop to Irvine.

"This," said Irvine he picked up his rifle, Exeter, and cocked it ready for action. "Plus, I got plenty of firearms training," He then smiled and winked at the cop.

Selphie quickly got out of the car, and ran towards Irvine. She embraced him tightly, and said,

"I'm so glad you're safe. I thought you were going to get killed by those assassins,"

"We still have a long way to go though, I feel," said Irvine.

The two looked up at the sky. The sun was setting.

_Bring__it __on __you __so-called__ "__gangsters__"__!_ Irvine thought.

_Yeah!__ Bring __it __on!_ Selphie thought.


	9. Chapter 9: A New Briefing in FH

**Fisherman's Horizon, Two Weeks Later**

"HEAVE! HEAVE!" yelled a foreman.

A construction crew finished linking two large pipes together. Thanks to the help of Squall and Rinoa, the infrastructure of Fisherman's Horizon was nearly rebuilt. All the residents now have access to running water and electricity. After providing numerous assistance to the residents of Timber, Squall and Rinoa headed back to Mayor Dobe's residence in the center of Fisherman's Horizon. It was a late afternoon when they got there. When Squall and Rinoa entered in the house, they saw Mayor Dobe and his wife Flo, as usual, sitting down on a mat.

"Ah, Squall, what can I do for you?" asked Mayor Dobe. His head wound was already healed.

"We finished repairing the infrastructure of FH. All residents have access to running water and electricity. All the fires are put out, and most of the damaged structures have been rebuilt," explained Squall.

"This is excellent news. I have been hearing from the residents about how grateful they are for your assistance. You and Rinoa truly have made a difference in our community. First you have saved our community and us from destruction by the Galbadians, and now you have helped salvage it from the dreadful pirate attacks of the Dark Typhoon. I don't know how I am ever going to repay you, but the first thing I have to say is that you are always welcome to our community, and we will feed you," said Mayor Dobe with enthusiasm.

"Thank you very much for the hospitality, especially the great food you cooked for us Flo," said Rinoa.

"Oh not at all. I love cooking so much, it is like an art to me," said Flo.

"Oh, Squall, I think you might want to take a look at this. I think your SeeD friends are in it," said Mayor Dobe as he turned on the TV in the house. It was the Timber Broadcasting Corporation's premier news network, TBC News 24. It was a Special Report live from the City of Timber. Squall and Rinoa then took a look at the TV.

"Good evening, I'm Katie Callahan. We begin this very evening with news from the South Side district of Timber. The criminals now have something to fear. For the past several days, the crime level has dropped significantly, thanks to a group of young men and women, who have, with great success, defeated numerous gangs of criminals that continue to plague the neighborhoods. Who are these people? According to some sources, it is believed to be the work of SeeD, an elite mercenary organization from Balamb Garden. We have tried to make numerous attempts to interview those who are with SeeD, but to no avail. However, we do have some amateur footage from local residents who have actually witnessed what SeeD can do. Warning, what you are about to see are images of a graphic nature,"

The TV showed an image of an alleyway, and video of Zell, Quistis, Nida, and Xu taking on a gang of criminals. They successfully defeated them unscathed.

"That's Zell! And Quistis, Nida and Xu! Wow! They are on TV!" cried out Rinoa.

The reporter on the TV continued.

"However, the SeeDs that have arrived at Timber to combat the crime have also been unwelcome. Some of the police officers we've interviewed have been very unhappy, although the SeeDs have been licensed to enforce the law by the City Legislature and Police Commissioner Allen Payne,"

The TV then showed video of an angry police officer complaining.

"Why the *bleep* do these kids try to do our job? They should not be allowed here, this is our jurisdiction and our city, not theirs!"

The TV then showed video of Police Commissioner Allen Payne speaking to the press.

"I have granted SeeD the right to enforce the laws of Timber. This should give an enormous boost to the morale of the force, and they should set an example on what the police should do to this city, rather than let it fall apart. The only thing I have to say to criminals who want to run this city is this: It's your turn to be afraid!"

The TV then turned back to the anchorwoman.

"If the actions by SeeD continue, the crime rate in Timber may fall to a record low in eight months. In other news, it has been revealed to us who the hero was during the assassination attempt on City Legislator Watts one week ago. His name is Irvine Kinneas, a SeeD sharpshooter trained in Galbadia Garden but now working for Balamb Garden, the major Garden used to train SeeDs…"

"Oh no, that's my friend from the Timber Owls," said Rinoa.

RING! RING!

Squall's mobile phone rang. He picked it up, and looked at the caller ID. It was Headmaster Cid Kramer. Squall then picked up the remote, put the TV on mute, and answered.

"Yeah?"

"Squall, Cid here. How's the reconstruction in FH going?"

"We have made a significant accomplishment. The infrastructure is complete, and all residents now have access to running water and electricity,"

"This is great news! Good work Squall! Consider your work in FH finished, since we have another situation here,"

"What is it?"

"Have you been keeping track of what's been going on in Timber?"

"I just watched the news, the crime has been rolling back substantially. Why?"

"Well it seems your friends are now going to run into a much bigger problem. There are still some criminals still determined to take down SeeD. And these criminals are smarter and stronger than the ones your friends are facing. They are called The Three Families. Your friends need your help in bringing down this group. Since I don't want you and Rinoa waste time coming back to Balamb Garden for more details, I'll send you a file containing a briefing explaining what we have got from our friends in Timber and more about the Three Families. Once you get the file, head over to Timber within 24 hours," explained Cid.

"Where are we supposed to go once we get to Timber?" asked Squall.

"Head over the residence of City Legislator Watts, he will provide more details. Out." Cid then hung up. Squall put his phone back in his pocket and looked at Rinoa.

"We're going to Timber, right?" asked Rinoa.

"Yeah, we're going to help Selphie, Irvine, and most likely Quistis, Zell, Xu, and Nida. Cid is sending a file right now, explaining what we should do," said Squall.

BEEP!

The sound came from Squall's mobile phone. Squall took it out, and looked at the screen.

**ONE NEW MESSAGE RECEIVED**

"It's from Cid," said Squall.

Squall went to his message inbox, and opened the message from Cid. In the message was an attachment containing a few files. Squall opened the attachments and read it. Rinoa looked over, as Squall read the files containing information regarding their next mission.

Squall and Rinoa,

The crime rate in Timber has been decreasing substantially, especially in petty crime, murder, theft burglaries, and rape. This has been due to Quistis', Zell's, Xu's and Nida's efforts in the impoverished areas, bringing fear to the criminals that plague the South Side district of Timber. Irvine's and Selphie's protection of City Legislator Watts is showing that crime can still not assault the government of Timber. This has been bringing a lot of fear to the many criminals and gangsters that run many areas in Timber. However, the crime wave is still strong despite your friends' efforts. The crime wave has been connected to something bigger, and that source must be eliminated at all costs. According to the City Legislator Watts and Police Commissioner Allen Payne, the crime wave is connected to three criminal syndicates called the Three Families also known as the "Three M's". These three families have been vying for power, used to be at war with one another, but they have been meeting numerous times and planning on making a triple alliance. If this alliance occurs, the city could be in jeopardy, as they have substantial control of the Timber Police Force and the city government. Timber will fall into a city ruled by thieves.

Your mission is to bring down the criminal establishments by bringing fear to each of the Three Families that are gaining control and help City Legislator Watts convince the other legislators to side with him on his war against crime. Once the City Legislators side with Watts, your primary objective is to bring down the Three Families, and end their reign of terror in Timber.

Good Luck!

Headmaster Cid Kramer

Balamb Garden

"Cid wants us to take on the Three Families?" said Rinoa in shock.

"Yeah, to stop the crime in Timber,"

"Taking on the Dark Typhoon was one thing, but the Three Families? I've read about them as well. They also have some small operations in Deling City and my father have tried to bring them down. They are very merciless and brutal. If we take them on, they are going to come at us with everything they got,"

Squall then looked through another file.

TIMBER POLICE FORCE DOSSIER

The Three Families (Three M's)

The Three Families are one of, if not the deadliest criminal organization in Timber and the rest of the Western Continent. For years they have built their legitimacy through intimidation, deception, bribery, and murder. They have been engaged in numerous underground activities ranging from prostitution, gambling, and illegal weapons trading. They have gotten even more powerful through making numerous alliances with small-level criminals and thugs, using them as enforcers, and making sure that their activities do not go interrupted. The Three Families consist of:

The Montagnas, led by Don Giovanni Montagna, age 30, "The Precocious One"

The Mancinis, led by Don Vicenzio Mancini, age 43, "The Cunning One"

The Martellis, led by Don Domenico Martelli, age 72, "The Wise One"

They have been responsible for the deaths of thousands of both innocent and guilty lives. The families of these innocents have tried, for many years to bring them to justice, but due to their bribery and deception, they have been able to walk away…

Squall continued reading the police dossiers with Riona looking on. There were also some file photos of the Dons of the Three Families. Squall first looked at the photo of Don Montagna. He looked very young for a thirty-year old, and had a small face. Then, Squall looked at the photo of Don Mancini. He looked very well-dressed and sophisticated, dressed like a traditional and modern investment banker. Squall then looked at the photo of Don Martelli. His face was old, but he could still see in his eyes that he still knows how to kill. Now that Squall and Rinoa knew what they looked like, they were ready to face them. Squall and Rinoa then went up to Mayor Dobe and Flo.

"Mayor Dobe, once again, thank you for your hospitality, but duty calls as a SeeD," said Squall.

"I see, this is about the crime in Timber," replied Mayor Dobe.

"Yes," said Squall.

"Well, I wish you well on your journey, stay safe," said Mayor Dobe with a smile.

"Once again, you are always welcome to return to our home, thank you so much for your help and support," said Flo.

"You are very welcome," said Rinoa.

Squall and Rinoa said their goodbyes, and headed for the Ragnarok airship docked near Mayor Dobe's home.


End file.
